Trail by fire
by adeliathomas
Summary: Eliana, self professed freak, is taken from her friends and mother by an accident, dragged halfway accross the planet to live with two men she doesnt know, one eched into legend, one permenantly forgotten, oc,i own nothing but ellie and soph. updated
1. Chapter 1

AN: okey dokey there's gonna no wolfwood(well sans one flashback) no legato, erm if you like meryl, stop now, i beg you, if you dont like her(althought after working out a bunch of stuff about her i must confess i am warming.) or are indifferent, this is baiscly a knives and vash and oc centric story.(althought she doesnt even go into the romantic zone, or is even liked off the bat so she's non mary sue) anyways y'all will see, r&r please.

oh yeah if its in italics its telecomincations or whatever you wanna call that thing vash and knives do when they talk in each others heads and too the plants.

thankies for reading r&r and i'll love you for forever and day

adelia

**Chapter one**:

A young girl lay on her bed staring at the stone ceiling of her room. The room itself was a bland room with a cold flagstone floor and grey stone walls. To the left of the bed the girl laid on, which was positioned in the centre of the room, cut into the wall was an arched shaped window. The window itself was made of two frames with that opened and were held together with a small catch. The sandstorm outside buffeted the window making them rattle.

Opposite the window on the other side of the room was a six inch thick wooden door. With three metal hinges on it and three bolts. At the end of the bed against the wall was an oaken desk with several sketchbooks of varying sizes piled on top of it, as well as several other drawing materials and a few paint pots. It also had a paint stained empty water pot and many different sized brushed on it as well.

The bed the girl lay on was an old wooden one. It had a thick mattress that was slightly itchy and a bit lumpy to sleep on. it was covered with a rather thin duvet that didn't keep out the cold of night that well, however the occupant of the room didn't really care about the cold all that much. Said occupant was a teenage girl, she had just turned eighteen years old and had long sandy blonde hair which brushed her shoulders then cascaded down her back, stopping halfway down her spine.

The girl was a little tall for age, reaching five feet eleven and was rather well conditioned, as her previous traveling life style until almost two years ago had demanded. The girl wore a faded red t-shirt that had a wide rip around the shoulder left area exposing a thin pink scar running along upper of the arm, just below the shoulder joint. On her lower half she wore a pair of jeans that were also faded and a little frayed at the knees. Next to her bed was a heavy pair of black walking boots. Polished so well that one could see there face in them upon looking. The boots reached halfway up her shin when worn, they six thick leather straps attached to them slid into buckles on the other side of the boots. The girl sighed and sat up, she ran her hand through her hair, bushing some that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her head.

Reaching behind her the girl slid her hand under her pillow. She felt about under the hard pillow for a few seconds till she found the cold metal object she was looking for. A smile crossed the girl's lips for a brief second as she grasped the metal object and ran her fingers over it gently tracing the pattern engraved into the handle. Secretly she loved the feeling of the patterned metal against her finger. Although she would never tell anyone that. Grasping the object fully now she slid it out from under the pillow and looked at it. It was a gun, a derringer variant, adjusted so it kept its small size but now was reload able. The derringer slim and refined, But powerful. Craved deeply into one side of the handle and also the dual barrels was a strange pattern that reminded her of a flame. Calved into the other side was a set of initials. E.M.S. a gift from her mother. The girl clicked open the breach and checked that there were two bullets there. Before twirling the pistol on her finger and then sliding between her belt and jeans just above her back right pocket.

Standing up the girl was about to exit the room when the door was flung open and a blur of black and brown came bursting into the room. The blur ran at the girl, who sidestepped quickly and the blur was sent sprawling face first onto the girls' bed.

The girl burst out laughing. She wiped her eyes away tears formed there.

"Eliana stop laughing it wasn't that funny." A voice moaned. The blur, now clearly a girl, a little older Eliana, said slightly muffled by the bed sheets. Eliana continued to laugh. The girl rolled over and stared up her best friend.

"I come to do you a favor and all you do is laugh at me, well I'm sorry for trying to help you." The girl huffed. Eliana smiled as she looked at her best friend. This was Sophie Thompson. The nineteen year old almost exact clone of her mother. Except her hair. Sophie had pure black hair that was slightly messy and a bit unruly. Sophie's hair reached her shoulders and hung roughly about her face, contrasting with her pale skin. And her two light blue grey eyes orb like eyes. Helping to keep her unruly hair in place was bandanna that covered her forehead, and was concealed by a layer of hair at the back. She wore a black shirt with a mesh like material covering it, which then filled out into billowed cuffs at the end of the sleeves. Hugging her thighs was a black skirt which reached her kneecaps. Around her waist Sophie had two belts, one which held the skirt up and another which hung a little lose. Dipping down to reach her thighs. Both were made of tough brown leather and had polished silver buckles. The second of her two belts, the one which hung lose was a gunslingers belt, minus gun holsters. On her feet were a pair of brown sneakers, slightly worn out.

Eliana had now stopped laughing. She extended a hand and bending over Sophie, grasped her wrist and pulled the older girl to her feet. Sophie nodded a thanks. Eliana smiled back in reply. She sat down on the bed again and picked up her boots. As she slid her feet into the solid and stiff sided walking boots Eliana looked up at Sophie and asked, her curiosity perked by the favor remark.

"So Sophie what's this favor you were going to do me." Eliana asked buckling her left boot up. She by the time Sophie had responded she had finished

"Well I was going tell you that your mom's on her way here, but since you were mean to me I'm not gonna." Sophie said.

"Say Soph anyone ever tell you that you remind them of your mother." Eliana said as she clicked the last buckle on her right boot down. Standing up she walked out of the room, followed by Sophie who added. 

"Yeah people actually tell me that a lot, maybe I look like her." The response was a groan and a half whispered.

"Why me."

Eliana led the way down the building's corridor. Which was made of the same grey stone as her room. Well actually the whole building was made of it. Outside of the thick walled bedrooms one could here the howling wind of the storm outside. Eliana looked over her shoulder at Sophie. 

"Where did you say my Mom was." Eliana asked slightly worried.

"Erm, well I didn't and neither did Mom." Sophie replied curiously her own curiosity and worry now aroused by Eliana's question. "I'm sure she's fine thought." Sophie added to the end of her statement. In an attempt to try and raise Eliana's hopes.

Eliana smiled at this but then her face turned back to a frown. They walked the rest of the way down the hall in silence. At the end the hall opened into a large room which had four large wooden tables in it. At the back of the room was an archway leading in a small alcove which housed a kitchen, separated from the main room by a pair of saloon doors. To on the far side of the room were three stain glass windows. Each depicting a scene from the bible. Next to windows was another thick door, like that in Eliana's room. The room had a little girl .She was around eight and smiled when she saw Eliana and Sophie enter the room.

"Sophie, Eliana." The girl said jumping to her feet and running to the two girls. When she got to Eliana she threw her arms around the girl's leg. Eliana looked down at little girl and smiled. She had mahogany brown hair with a single streak of pure white which ran from her left temple all the way to the base of her left pigtail. It was very thin, and as long as Eliana and Sophie had known this girl, no explanation had arisen as to how she got it. Her hair was itself was in pigtails. When lose it usually reached midway down her back. The little girl had large green eyes that had a childlike innocence in them. She wore a sky blue dress which as a little large as all her other clothes were all messy and a little tatty from too much playing' Vash the stampede' with the boys. Eliana smiled, she remembered doing that at Kaitlyne's age.

"Good morning Kaitlyne." Eliana greeted the little girl with a smile and after regarding her attire asked.

"Why're you dressed up?"

"Aunt Millie told me, she said someone special was coming, I hope there aren't gonna try and take me away last like last time. I don't wanna leave. I wanna stay here with Aunt Millie an you an Sophie." The girl said sadly. Eliana smiled again.

"Don't worry, I wont let anyone take you away." Eliana reassured. Kaitlyne's eyes lit up and she beamed a big smile.

"Promise."

"Promise, now have you had any breakfast."

"Nope aunt Millie's making some now." The little girl informed Eliana and Sophie.

"I'll go and see if mom wants some help." Sophie dashed into the kitchen. Eliana stood and walked to a table. Her boots echoing as she crossed the cold stone floor. Kaitlyne followed and sat down in the seat next to Eliana. A few seconds later Millie Thompson backed through the Saloon doors carrying two plates in her large hands. She had aged during the seventeen years since the Vash returned from his battle with Knives. Her hair was now turning slightly grey, but she remained her happy bubbly self. Her hair was currently tied back into a ponytail that swayed wildly when she pushed thought the doors. Millie wore a pair of brown slacks and a white shirt. Customary clothes for her. Millie had left Vash and Meryl shortly after Vash's return with the unconscious Knives. Millie stalwart in her reserve had decided to take her dead love's profession and run his orphanage. Even during her during her pregnancy. As she did to this very day. Vash had once remarked on one of his frequent visits. That it was slightly ironic that Wolfwood's own child had been born his orphanage. The ever happy Millie spun around and smiled.

"Good morning Eliana." Millie addressed the teenager.  
"Morning Sweetie." She added to Kaitlyne.

"Mornin' aunt Millie." Eliana and Kaitlyne echoed pleasantly. Eliana knew better than to ask after her mom, her 'aunt' could be evasive about that subject at the best of times. Millie set a plate down in front of Eliana and Kaitlyne. Both girls stared at the plates in front of them Sophie then emerged. Carrying only one plate. She took a spot opposite the other two girls Millie turned and smiled to the three before saying.

"Meryl wanted me to call her on the radio. So I'll leave you to eat okay."

"Sure Mom." Sophie replied between hastily swallowed mouthfuls of her meal.

"Say hi to her for me." Eliana added as Millie left the room by the door next to the stain glass windows. She then looked down at hers before deciding weather to eat it. Millie had been known for some rather unconventional food combinations before. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing it was just bacon, toast and eggs. Eliana began to tuck in, taking small mouthfuls of bacon. She didn't really feel like eating so ate slowly although to her time seemed to stand still. This always seemed to around her birthday. For some reason beyond her comprehension Eliana's body seemed to defy time, when she was ten she looked sixteen, when she sixteen she looked twenty three. But no matter how many times she had asked her mother Eliana had not gotten an answer. She sighed and poked the yoke of her egg with her fork. The yoke burst and poured out over the egg white. That was another matter her mother. Eliana hadn't seen her for a year and a half. 

"Aren't you hungry Eliana." Kaitlyne asked. Looking up at Eliana.

"Not really. I was just thinking about stuff." Eliana replied quietly. Eliana pushed her plate away and got up. She crossed the room quickly and exited the room by the same door as Millie. As she closed the door behind her Kaitlyne and Sophie exchanged worried looks. Eliana walked down a short corridor past the entrance to the orphanages church and into a tall and wide corridor, she looked left and right down corridor and saw no sign of Millie. Quickly Eliana walked down the hall towards a set of large wooden doors at least twice her height, with a smaller door cut into the larger ones. Eliana walked quietly slightly fearful that Millie might hear her boots echoing in the corridor.

Eliana however reached the end of the corridor safely. Near the end next the cloak room was a rack on the wall that had a several thick, sandblasted coats on it. These were for going out in sandstorms such as the one outside. The coats were at a least an inch thick and made of very heavy leather. They made walking slow. However walking in a sandstorm was no easy feet. So the added weight didn't matter much . They were originally all a dark brown color but use over time and the repeated battering with sand and worn them to a dull brown. as well as the coats there were scarves and pairs of goggles to shield you eyes from the sand. Eliana walked to the rack and pulled a coat off. She shrugged it with a bit of difficulty and then buttoned it up. Eliana then picked a pair of goggles her size and pulled them onto her forehead ready to push down when she got out of the door. Eliana took one look back down the corridor to see if Millie or anyone else was there.

Sliding her hand inside her jacket Eliana checked her derringer was still in place. When she was sure it was in easy reach should she need it. Eliana walked to the smaller door. Turning the key in the lock she swung the door back and was greeted by two things. One was a blast of wind. The other was something far more dangerous. A woman of medium height, with jet black hair. Dark hazel eyes. A winning smile and a deadly temper. The woman wore a similar sand coat to the one Eliana now wore. She also wore a pair of sand goggles that were opaque to block the sun. Although Eliana couldn't actually see them the steely eyes she knew they were boring a hole into her. And displeased expression the rest of the face told Eliana she wasn't in for an easy time. Meryl Stryfe wasn't known for going easy on people she was angry at.

"Erm. Hi Mom." Eliana said meekly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: **

"What in the world were you thinking?" Meryl Strife shouted pacing up and down the room in front of her daughter. She wore a sensible white shirt and pair of black trousers. Normally Meryl would have worn a skirt but a skirt was hardly suitable wear for traveling in a sandstorm. Her feet were booted with heavy set boots, made for walking. And on her hands were a pair of leather gloves. Both were now in the dining hall. Eliana was rather pleased to see her mother, but on he other slightly annoyed that she hadn't seen her mother for nearly two years at within five minutes of seeing her she was being ranted at.

"Going for a walk." Eliana replied dryly crossing her arms.

"Going for a walk? Going for a walk in the middle of a raging sandstorm. Oh that's a marvelous idea isn't it?" Meryl stopped pacing and threw her hands in the air. "I thought I raised you with more sense than that." 

"Well maybe I changed since you left me here." The younger Stryfe uttered under her breath. Despite her best attempts to keep it quite her mother still heard. She could have sworn sometimes that her mother had a bats hearing.

"Don't you talk back to me young lady." Meryl shot back.

"Young lady! I'm eighteen mom. I'm not the sixteen year old you left here a year an half ago." Eliana pleaded.

"Oh well forgive for thinking otherwise. but you seem to acting like a ten year old."

"Oh that's an original insult if I ever heard one." Eliana rolled her eyes.

"See that's my point entirely, I was hoping you might have matured a little since you chose to stay here."

"Forced more like."

"It was a joint decision." Meryl replied stoically.

"No I was a forced decision, and I did to get away from you. Because I figured if you weren't going to spend all day working and when you got home, any questions I asked about me, your past, or anything that is important to me is just fobbed me off. Or when I tired to show you anything I'd done in school or in my spare time. Y'know what Aunt Millie has actually been a better mom to me than you have? At least she takes an interest." Eliana shouted back at Meryl standing bolt upright in a flash. Her eyes began to well up during as she spoke the angry words. Meryl stood slightly taken aback this was the first time her daughter had ever shouted at her.

"I did take an interest." Meryl pleaded.

"No you didn't mom, for example, do you know when I started taking art classes, do you know when I learned to shoot, and do you even know who my best friend is." Eliana begged hoping for some kind of answer that she could except as right and then the whole argument would be behind them.

"No." Meryl answered remorsefully. Eliana momentarily stared at Meryl before turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

"Eliana come back here, I haven't finished." Meryl cried out.

"Yeah well I have." Meryl heard Eliana's footsteps increase in speed as she down the corridor to Sophie's room. Meryl stood there for a moment, salty tears running down her face and dropping onto the floor, before slumping to the floor.

Thirty iles out of town a rather rickety bus speed across the sand dunes. It had once been a dull yellow color but now several hundred bullet holes covered it. In addition to the bullet holes huge scratches from collisions and scorch marks from explosions covered the sides of the bus. The windows of the bus had been boarded up and several modifications had been made to it. Large plates of metal had been welded to the side, front and rear to create amour plating. The front windows had also been bored over and now had metal grill over the driver's side. The engine had also been supped up to handle the extra weight of the amour. However even with the improvements the bus was close to being a moving death-trap. And unfortunately for the occupants said bus was being pursued by around thirty bandits, all riding some form of motorized transport, many using motorbikes, as well as those there were a few flatbed trucks and one armored vehicle. And all after one thing. The small town that was ahead of them. The bus was making a desperate attempt to beat the bandits to the town, hoping to give the town time to prepare or to take cover. Every few seconds the bandits would fire upon the bus, and then a quick exchange of return fire would occur from the back window of the bus. As the desperate race continued.

"Meryl." Millie asked curiously poked her head around the door, looking from the church hall, where she had taken refuge during the argument. Meryl didn't answer so Millie gently tip toed towards her former boss. Even after all the years Millie had known Meryl she was still slightly fearful of her furious temper.

"I'm okay Millie." Meryl said sniffing and wiping her eyes.

"It's okay to cry Meryl. She said some mean things, I'm gonna scold her good for that." Millie said proudly. Meryl stood up and turned to Millie.

"That's the point Millie she'll listen to you if you scold her not me. And she's grown so much since I last saw her." Meryl said somberly.

"Meryl. You aren't a bad mother, you did the best you could for you child." Millie said placing a hand of on her shoulder.

"Yes, but not as good as you am I Millie. You look after, what fifteen kids at this orphanage. As well as two teenager girls."

"Sixteen actually. " Millie corrected her. "And you're just as good a mother as me. Meryl I know Eliana

had a rough time growing up and turned out fine, because of you, you helped her through that and you let her stay here because you thought it was best for her." Meryl wiped her eyes again and stared at Millie.

"You think so."

"I know so."

Meryl nodded a thank you to Millie. Who began to walk out of the room and Meryl followed.

"I'm gonna make some tea would you like some Meryl."

"Sure Millie I'd love some." Meryl followed Millie out of the room and past the church door into a small room at the end of the hall leading to the main door. Millie opened the door and was just about to step in when they both heard a heavy knock at the front door.

"I'll just go see who that is then make the tea." Millie said starting for the door.

"Don't worry Millie I'll go you start making the tea." Her companion offered overtaking her.

"Okay Meryl." The brunette replied. Meryl overtook Millie and headed for the door while Millie entered the small room. As the speed and loudness of the knocking increased Meryl sped up.

"Okay quit it. I'm coming." she shouted. Meryl was almost jogging now. When she reached the cloak rack Meryl pulled a pair of sand goggles off the rack and pulled them down over her eyes. Even though the sand storm was dying down it was still a good idea to cover your eyes. With either goggles or sunglasses. Meryl grasped the doorknob and turned it. Pulling the door open with a mild amount of effort she was buffeted by a gust of wind. Her hands shot up defensively and covered her face. When the gust subsided a few seconds later Meryl lowered her hands and looked at the person who stood in the doorway. Upon seeing the man she froze. Her breath left her and almost silently she whispered.

"No….No……It can't be……….It can't be you."

"Eliana. It'll be okay." Sophie said soothingly trying to comfort her friend. They were both in Sophie's room. It was the same size as Eliana's but totally different in furniture. A large bed was placed under the window. As Sophie like her mother was exceptionally tall and unusually strong for a woman of her figure. Covering the bed were white sheets with pink flowers embroidered onto them.

Next to bed, bolted to the wall, and propped up with metal posts was a large work bench. On top of it were several objects including a small welding torch. Hammer and tong, a chisel and several other metal working tools. As well as the tools a small former kitchen sink used for cooling metal was at one of the work bench. Near to the tools were several objects in the process of construction. One was a large metal box that was roughly a meter long and half a meter wide. Next to the large box, were the beginnings of a weapon of some kind. It was at such a level of construction that it couldn't really be determined what the weapon actually was as currently it only consisted of a long barrel and a stock.

Also like Eliana's room Sophie had a desk. It was placed next to the door and was piled high with so much paper that the desk could barely be seen, a few magazines could also been seen poking out from the . Mostly all to do with weapon construction. Also mounted on the wall above the desk was a key tidy that held the keys to Sophie's metalwork shop. Housed in an old outbuilding near the orphanage, the keys to her room, a set of beautiful rosary beads and a small cross on a chain. Her mother had raised her as a devout Christian.

Currently Eliana lay face up on Sophie's bed. Looking up at the ceiling not that she could see much as tears distorted her vision and steamed down her checks. Sophie sat perched on the edge of the bed. Looking down at Eliana and handing her a tissue ever so often.

"But what I said was awful, and the worst part is most of it was true." Eliana wept. Sophie looked down at her best friend sadly then handed her a tissue.

"Look Eli, I'll admit your mom hasn't done the best job she could. But she raised you well. You turned out okay. You're a good friend, a good shot and damn scary when you're angry. All of those things you got from your mother." Sophie reassured her.

"Yeah I guess. But I just wish she'd tell me what I want to know. Anything my dad's name, what happened to him, why I'm a freak."

"Eliana you are not a freak." Sophie interjected sternly.

"Yes I am, when I was ten I wore size eleven boots. What normal ten year old wears size eleven boots? And when I was eleven I got wolf whistles. What normal eleven year old gets wolf whistles from men?" Eliana said somberly rolling onto her side to break eye contact with her.

"You just grew fast that's all." Sophie said trying to find a logical reason for her friend's growth.

"I've lost count of the number of times I've told myself that Soph."

"Oh I can guess. But who helped you through that. Your mother I bet." 

"Yeah that's true." Eliana replied sheepishly. 

"Then that means she loves you, and she'll always be there for you no matter what." Sophie added smiling. Eliana looked at her and smiled to. She had the smile of her mother.

"You know Sophie you really are like your mother." Eliana sat up and hugged her friend. Releasing the hug Eliana wiped away the last of her tears.

"Thanks for...Y'know stopping me from sinking into even more self pity" She said. "I'm gonna go apologize." Eliana quickly walked out of Sophie's room. Just as she crossed the threshold out of the room Eliana heard a scream. Not of pain but of terror. She couldn't quite make out the words but knew recognized the voice.

'MOM'. Was her only thought. Quick as lighting her hand whipped to the derringer concealed above her right hip. Drawing it out Eliana broke into a run. She tore down the hall at full speed, her boots making loud reverberating echoes they slammed into the ground. She cleared the bedroom hall in around six seconds. The dining hall in twenty. Upon entering the hallway leading out of the dining hall and into the rest of the building Eliana saw Millie emerge from the church with a concerned look on her face. However she just barged past Millie and tore down the hall towards the door. Eliana saw her mother back against a wall, screaming. She now heard what her mother was screaming.

"No you can't take her, she's mine. She's my daughter. She's mine. You can't take her away." Meryl repeated, over and over like a woman possessed. She pushed herself back further against the wall as if trying to pass through it her eyes wide with sheer terror, terror that was usually only seen the eyes of the dying. Eliana now saw who she was a screaming as she got closer the person her mother was screaming at came into view, he was cautiously stepping towards Meryl saying something inaudible.. It was a tall blonde man, wearing a long red coat with the left sleeve missing. The exposed left arm was covered in black leather straps, over a barley visible black material that covered the arm, apart from the black gloves on his hands. Resting in the right pocket of his coat was a heavy looking pure silver revolver. In a companion to the red coat was a pair of black trousers and black boots. A pair of odd orange-lensed sunglasses rested upon his nose. They had slid down slightly and his clam azure eyes could be seen behind the glasses Eliana ran he eyes over the man and had a vague feeling of reminiscence, there was something strangely familiar about him. Casting it aside she leveled her Derringer at him her hands shaking. Although she had shot a gun before Eliana had never pointed one at a human before.

"Freeze and step away from my Mother." Eliana said. Her hands visibly shaking. The blonde man turned slowly to face her, his hands rising in the air to show he was unarmed.

"Eliana run!" Meryl screamed out loud. Eliana narrowed her eyes.

"Who the heck are you." Eliana demanded. The man looked slightly over her shoulder. He was not fazed by the fact he had a gun pointed at him. This worried her even more, either this guy had no fear, or thought she wasn't going to shoot him or he was just plain stupid. Eliana didn't want to find out which one it was didn't, she also didn't dare look over her shoulder and see what he was looking at. She heard a person she thought to be Millie approach.

"Mr. Vash." She heard Millie cry. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she heard the name.

'Mr. Vash. Vash the Stampede.' She thought. A few seconds placed a hand on Eliana's shoulder a gently pushed her arms down lowering the gun away from Vash. Who let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Millie, I really thought she was gonna shoot me for a second there." He gasped. Millie smiled at the Blonde haired gunslinger.

"He's a friend Eliana." Millie told her.

"But you heard Mom too." She protested.

"Yes, But Mr. Vash wouldn't hurt Meryl, Right Mr.Vash." Vash nodded smiling widely at Eliana.

"Say Millie, who this incredibly pretty young lady." Vash asked sliding up to Eliana. Taking in her long blonde locks, pretty brown eyes and taut features.

"Oh this is Meryl's daughter. Eliana Stryfe." Millie informed him.

"Oh nice to meet you Eli...What!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Her daughter." Millie reiterated. Vash looked incredibly worried for a second. Before turned to Meryl who was still backed against the wall.

"She inst mine is she." Vash asked his voice quivering slightly. Before Meryl had a chance to answer. A series of loud gunshots sounded from outside and a woman voice shouted.

"Stampede get your big red butt out here now! I cant take out these bandits all by myself." Vash looked between Eliana and Meryl then down at his feet. One hand instantly shot up. Pushing his glasses up his nose so they covered his eyes completely.

"Millie, get everyone down the basement. And lock the door. Don't open it too anyone but me okay." He said drawing his gun. Vash took one final look at Meryl and Eliana before breaking for the door.

"Wait." Eliana cried. "Are you my father." Vash didn't stop. So she gave chase. Her mother's screams to stay where she was falling on deaf ears.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

The moment Eliana stepped outside of the orphanage she regretted it. She was treated to a scene of violence the likes of which she had never seen. Eliana had seen some rough things before when she traveled with her mother. But this was bad. Motorcycles with sidecars raced around the streets the passenger in the each sidecar fired wildly at the building and anyone who was foolish enough to get in their line of fire. Little behind the motorcycles now entering the now were two jeeps both with tarps covering the backs. Eliana froze in stark horror as the roof of one of the jeeps opened and man appeared. He was passed up a rocket launcher, which he proceeded to lift onto his shoulder. He took aim at a nearby by building and fired, a rocket shot out of the end of the launcher, while smoke jetted out of the back and it streaked toward the house at the end of the street, the house erupted in a ball of red hot fire taking part of the houses either side with it. Burning debris was sent flying across the street. It landed everywhere, some of it crashing into other people's houses and the catching them a blaze. Eliana could not move. She was shaking with fear, she had known the people that had lived in the now burning wreck of the house.

As Eliana stood there one of the bikers spotted her. She swung his bike around in a one hundred and eighty degree turn. He turned his head and looked back at his fellow bandits.

"Hey boys we got live one here, an' she pretty, the boss' 'ad be mighty pleased if we nabbed her." He shouted pointing towards Eliana while accelerating at the same time. She saw him coming and knew she should move but fear prevented her.

"Eliana Move." She heard Vash shout, looking to her left she saw Vash running towards her. His gun drawn but she also saw he wouldn't make it in time. Suddenly Eliana felt someone grab her and she was pulled around the corner of the Orphanage. Leaving the biker grasping at thin air. A second later a shot rang out and the biker's rear tire exploded sending both bike and rider flying. Both skidded a few feet after landing then came to a stop. Eliana took a deep breath and looked at her savoir. Half expecting to see her mother or Millie. She was slightly surprised to see who it actually was.

Her rescuer was a woman of medium height with fire brand red hair. That reached to just below her shoulder blades. It was rather curly and was tied into a rough ponytail. She wore a huge leather duster jacket, wore in places so the leather was faded. It was heavy set, wide and brushed her ankles. The coat was undone but had several thick buckles from when it was held shut. Under the coat was a plain black shirt. Around her waist were three belts, these belts palm width and held two rows of shotgun shells. She was also wearing a pair of fingerless gloves and a pair of black Calvary trousers. In her left hand was an automatic shotgun, another of the same type was strung across her back. The woman's steely green eyes which were currently on Eliana.

"Stay here, don't move, and don't get shot." She instructed. The woman then broke the cover the of the wall. She snapped her shotgun up, taking aim at something Eliana could not see fired. What amazed her was that the woman was using only one arm to fire the gun.

_'Geez she must be at least as strong as Millie'_ Eliana thought. Seconds later an explosion followed, followed again by machine gun fire. The redhead then sprung into action. She dived up the front porch of the orphanage and into the doorway, ducking behind the thick doors. As two motorbikes whizzed past firing at the door. Their bullets splintering the wood, but not piecing it. Two loud shots rang out from the doorway and the men were flung from their bikes and landed midway across the street. Eliana watched with a morbid fascination as the gun fight continued. She could now see Vash again. He was darting between porches firing upon the bikes not the bikers when ever possible. Every minute or so he would change position. She found herself becoming even more fascinated with him. His movements were so fluidic, so precise. She was mesmerized by the way he would move from place to place. Fire off a few shots, six at the most then move again. To Eliana watching him was absolutely fascinating.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion. The building opposite Eliana exploded from the inside in a huge ball of flame and the jeep that had fired the rocket before skidded around the corner and drove towards her. A man leaned out of the window and fired at her. Eliana screamed as the bullets narrowly missed her head. She sank to the floor still screaming as the jeep came around for another pass. She closed her eyes and heard the gunman scream something over the roar of the jeeps engine. Then she was moving. Eliana opened her eyes to see she was being pulled along by Vash. He had a hold on her shirt tightly onto her shirt. Vash ran close to the orphanage. He had a good head start on the jeep and it had to turn around. The jeep turned full circle just in time to see Vash skid around the corner. Once around it he put her down.

"Can you run?" He asked quickly. She didn't answer but got to her feet and nodded.

"Head for that building." Vash pointed to a saloon across the street. Both broke into a run. Vash stayed just behind her, even thought both of them knew he could move faster than that. They reached the Saloon just as the jeep came into view. The gunner gave a shout and opened fire. The bullets trailed their heels and ripped thought the wooden decking as the two ran into the saloon. Eliana who was in the lead pushed the swing doors aside and dived to the floor. Vash who was following tripped over her leg and landed on top of her. Her breath rushed from her lungs with a painful gasp as he landed on top of her, quickly followed by a hail bullets which flew through the air where Vash was a few seconds before. They ripped through the bar at the back of the room. Sending splinters, small chunks of wood and large slivers of shot glasses everywhere. Eliana cried out as one of the pieces embedded itself in her left forearm.

"I'm getting far too old for this." Vash groaned as her rolled off Eliana. Outside they heard the squeal of breaks and the sound of earth being dislodged. This was closely followed by a whirring sound. One which Vash recognized to his horror. His hand shot out and grasped Eliana by the arm. He dragged her to her feet and pushed her across the room. She sailed through the air and landed roughly on the ground. Vash dived to the other side just an intense rain of bullets entered through the open doorway and destroyed what was left of the bar and began ripping into the building, large pieces of splintered wood, metal and glass, As well as large chunks of mortar and concrete were sent into the air. After around a minute the firing stopped. Vash slowly got to his feet and brushed of the dust and pieces of wood, glass and other materials that had collected on him. Vash looked at the devastation caused by the bandits. The saloon they had been in was now two buildings. Everything that had been in the bullets path had been destroyed. Including floors, ceilings, walls and furniture as well. He quickly cast a glance toward Eliana. She lay there still. Vash's heart skipped a beat but quickly resumed normalcy when she coughed and slowly sat up bushing plaster dust off herself.

Vash allowed himself a small smile of relief then checked his gun. Three shots left. Snapping the breach shut. He pushed his glasses up his nose, they had slid down a little when he dived for cover. Readying himself Vash leapt sideways. His eyes locking onto their target instantly, the mounting of the large gattling gun on the back of the jeep which had caused the devastation moments ago. He fired twice in succession, without looking to see if his bullets hit home Vash quickly ducked behind the what was left of the Saloon wall to avoid being shot by the jeeps occupants. The loud thud a few seconds later confirmed they had. Vash now turned to Eliana and whispered.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." He then spotted a small trail of blood running from her arm and dripping onto the floor.

"You're bleeding." Vash exclaimed pointing at the trail of blood.

"It's a little scratch, don't worry I've had worse."

"You sure?"

"Yeah" She repined absentmindedly rubbed her right shoulder. "Thank you for...Y'know saving my life."

He smiled back at her thanks. Even though it was in dispute a part deep down inside Vash kind of hoped this girl was his daughter.

"So what's the plan?" She asked him.

"Erm, I dunno. I didn't really have one."

"Oh great, your the legendary Vash the freakin' Stampede you've fought your way of worse than this surely."

"I guess so. But were a little low on ammo. And you won't be able to take out anything with that pea shooter." Vash remarked referring to her derringer.

"Oh yeah, wanna bet, you were worried when I had it pointed at you." Eliana growled at him.

_She got her mothers temper then._ Vash thought to himself. He lowered his gun, placing it in its holster. Eliana then heard a series of very quick clicks and was shocked to see an automatic weapon emerge from Vash's left forearm. She had seen some odd things in her time, most of which usually involved Millie's cooking. But this topped them, a gun coming out of someone's arm. Vash crawled on his hands and knee's towards the window and peered slightly over the rim of the sill. The jeep, minus the gattling gun Vash had just shot off, sat sideways on to the wrecked building. Two men learned out of windows, one leaned out of the back and was standing through the sun roof. Vash took a deep breath and got ready to move. He had decided to try and take the one at the back first it was a long shot and would most likely end up in him taking a bullet from the other three.

"Wait." Eliana whispered. "I think can hit the one on the roof." Vash eyed her carefully, he had no choice but trust her and allow her to help him if they both wanted to get out of here alive.

"Don't kill him." He said sternly.

"What." She exclaimed. This loud outburst brought several rounds flying thought the window, narrowly missing Vash.

"You mustn't kill him, no matter what." Vash told her sternly.

"Your kidding me?"

"No." He replied.

"Alright though I wish they felt the same way. But I'll try, what should I aim for?"

"The shoulder."

"Okay." She said gruffly the tough facade she had been building up just disappeared.

"Vash I'm scared"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't be human." He replied smiling at little.

"What about you?"

"Not a bit." He replied. "On three" he added.

"Okay." She slid her hand to her belt and pulled out her gun. She ran her hand over the pattern.

_Dear god I've never been much of a prayer, but this seems like a good time to start. _Eliana began in her head.__

"Three"

_Well anyway as I'm possibly gonna die in the next few seconds could you take care of mom, aunt Millie, Sophie, all the kids at the orphanage. _

"Two"

_Well anyway, please lord forgive me of my sins and watch over me, and I promise I'll go to church more often and pray more as well.  
_

"One"

_"Amen"_ Eliana added quickly to finished the prayer.

"Go." Vash yelled. Eliana took a deep breath and sidestepped out from behind the wall and took aim. She aimed up and place her finger over the trigger. She squinted her eyes and snapped her finger down on the trigger twice in rapid succession. Her gun was louder than she had thought, a cry of pain sounded from the jeep and then Vash grabbed her belt and pulled her to the floor out of harms way.

"Did... I...did I hit him?" She asked.

"Yeah straight through the right shoulder both times."

"Oh, I was erm aiming for the left." Eliana admitted blushing. Vash shrugged and got ready to fire himself. When there were two loud mechanical thuds that sounded like a muffled shots, followed by a loud crash. Eliana and Vash peered over the edge of the sill and saw two large cross shaped objects embedded into the side of the jeep. All three of the occupants who weren't injured were now trapped under the jeep.

"Mr. Vash." A shout came Vash looked across the street and saw Millie at the back door of the orphanage Stun Gun in her hands. Millie beckoned them across with a wave of her arm. Vash quickly stepped through the window followed by a little slowly by Eliana who carefully stepped around the glass. Both then ran across the street towards Millie. Eliana trailing slightly just as she got to the door there was a gunshot. Her eyes widened with fear as a bullet whizzed past her check and embedded itself in the orphanage wall.

"Freeze." Someone behind her shouted even thought Eliana had frozen when the gunshot had sounded.

Vash came to a stop and turned around slowly. He could see just behind Eliana one of the occupants of the jeep. He was holding an assault rifle which was aimed at the back of Eliana's head.

"Little bitch. You shot my brother. You practically blew his arm off, so now its payback time." He steadied his gun. His finger tightening on the trigger. Then there was a sharp cry from Millie as Meryl pushed past her knocking the big woman sideways with a strength that that was not evident from looking at her. She burst past Vash who tried to grab her with his right arm as she ran past but this came to no avail. Meryl ran straight into Eliana just as the gun fired. A for a few moments after the world seemed still and silent. Then Meryl slumped forward just as Eliana screamed.

"MOM."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Eliana Stryfe sat in silence staring at the vast desert of Gunsmoke was made of as the car she rode in sped across it. Her right arm rested upon the top of the door and chin on top of that. While her left hung numbly at her side a small strip of bandage across the wound on her forearm. She found it painful, too painful to lean on. Vash sat in silence to her left every so often he would cast a glance her way. He was unsure if he was doing the right thing but it was what she had asked and he wasn't really in position to refuse since he could possibly the closest thing to family she had left.

_"I'm not looking forward to Knives meeting her and finding out that she's gonna live with us. Oh he's gonna be thrilled when he finds out about this." _Vash mused to himself smiling as he imagined his brothers reaction it probably would be very loud and most likely involve a very long lecture. He turned his eyes back to the desert in front of him and away from his young charge. As the car skimmed the top of a sand dune he spotted a small town nearby, just below the horizon. Maple if he remembered correctly.

"We're about halfway if your interested" Vash said cheerily trying to raise the somber mood in the car. "We can stop and get some food if you like."

"Nah, I'm not hungry you can if you want to though." Eliana answered not looking back at him, in fact she hadn't looked at him since they had left. Vash was becoming increasingly worried about her. 

"Would you mind, I'd love a bag of doughnuts about now." He began salivating at the thought of the round pastries. Eliana shook her had to say that she didn't mind. The rest of the ride she stayed quiet. It was nearing noon when the car entered the town. It was smaller than Vash had thought being made up of roughly sixty buildings. He slowed the car to a stop in a back street just off the main route through the town.

"Wait here okay, I'll be back soon." He said hopping down from the car. Just before he walked off Vash looked back at Eliana.

"You sure you don't want anything." She just shook her head slowly. Vash nodded in reply and walked into the town. Eliana opened the car door and standing up, stepped onto the footplate that ran along the side of the car. She then turned opened the door to the backseat and climbed into it. Shutting the door behind her she laid down on the back seat. She decided she needed to lay down she hadn't slept the previous night, and her whole body ached. She turned onto her side and pulled her legs up a little to get more comfortable. She closed her eyes and cast her mind back over the last twenty four hours.

She sat alone in the hospital corridor, she sat staring down at her blood covered palms. The some of blood had dried into the small lines in her skin. Her eyes welled with tears and she began to cry. The tears ran down her cheeks and splashed onto her palms wetting the blood and forming tiny pools of vaguely red liquid. At that point time seemed irrelevant, it seemed to drift away vision narrowed to her hands. People walked back and forth in front of her but not one spoke to her, they barley even looked at her. A pathetic looking wretch of teenage girl, Clothes, skin and long hair partially reddened with blood. Yellow and dark blue bruises had begun to show on her arms and she could feel them on her back.

She was unaware of when Vash had found her. He just seemed to appear from out of the mist of her own world. He sat down beside her and said something which at first she didn't hear. To her it sounded like he was talking to her though a thick pane of glass. She slowly turned to look at him. He looked tired and so much older to her. His eyes hidden behind his glasses. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed a little. Not painfully but enough to know he was there. She reached up and with her fore arm dried her eyes.

"She'll live." She didn't reply but looked somberly at him. Her body loosened as a portion of the worry she was feeling slipped away.

"Its bad though. She lost so much blood." The fact that both their clothes were stained with Meryl's blood proved that. "The doctors don't know if she'll wake up." He said his voice quivering.

"Oh god." Eliana's eyes once again began to fill with tears as sunk into Vash, her head resting on his chest. He put his arms around her as small tears began to roll down his face. The two sat like that for several minutes before Eliana pulled away.

"Can I see her." She asked, once again wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Vash nodded and got up. She stood wordlessly and followed him. He led her down the now near empty corridor. Eliana looked out of the one of the windows and saw that it the child sun was about to sink below the horizon and darkness was setting in. From the window on the forth floor Eliana could see that those who could afford it were now turning on their electric lights. She also saw the dying embers from the fires that had been started earlier today and in the distance the faint, but ever present glow of the plant. She paused for moment and stared at it. Vash who was a few paces ahead of her stopped and looked back.

"Something up?" He asked. She shook her head and the two started again. After a few minutes they reached a flight of stairs. Vash led the way up to the fifth floor of the hospital. When they got to the top Vash stopped. 

"You should go by yourself. She's in the fourth room along." He said leaning against the wall. She nodded and started walking towards to the room Vash had told her was her mothers. When Eliana reached the room she found the door open. She took a breath and stepped over the threshold. She gasped horrified at the sight she beheld.

"This...This...is all my fault...My fault." She gasped.

Her mother, the ever tough Meryl Stryfe, lay on a hospital bed. Her chest was covered mostly by blankets but, Eliana could see the tops of the bandages that covered Meryl's chest wrapped over her shoulders. Her left hand had an IV drip placed in it. A bag of blood hanging from the stand the IV was connected to. A small plastic mask covered her mouth and nose. A tube in attached to this was connected to a respirator that was placed to right of the bed. A thin layer of bandage surrounded her forehead, the way her hair had been pushed over the top reminded her of one of Sophie's bandanna's. Except that the bandage had a small spot of blood just above Meryl's left ear where a bullet had nicked her. Eliana walked to her side and looked at her mother.

"Thank You." She whispered. Gently gripping her mothers hand. Eliana took in a deep breath and then let it out in a long sigh.

"Okay here's goes, Mom I'm sorry for being a wild child and not being the good little girl you wanted me to be. Sorry I cant change, its just me. Anyway thanks again for saving my life." She paused for a second" Gee I seem to be saying that an awful lot today huh." She the last part with a little chuckle wiping eyes of the tears that were beginning to form there.

"Anyway Mom, I've made a decision, I wanna go with Vash when he leaves. I couldn't protect myself today and that got you hurt. So I'm going to ask him to take me with him when he goes. I'm gonna ask him to teach me how fight like he does." Eliana whispered. She bent over and kissed her mom's cheek.

"I'm gonna go now mom, I don't want to go home tonight, so I'll stay with Vash if he'll have me. I cant face aunt Millie, Sophie and the kids. Knowing what I did. Anyway I'll come back and visit 'kay." She turned and walked out of the door. She reached Vash and looked at him, straight into his eyes over his glasses

"I have a favor to ask." Her voice quivering a little despite the fact she had tried to steel herself for this moment.

She opened her eyes when she heard someone approaching the car. Eliana lay still hoping that whoever it was they would ignore her. The crunch of the well worn sand under boots told her the person was close. She heard the person stop at the side of the car. She really hoped it wasn't a someone out to steal it or their things. The voice that came a few seconds later told her who it was.

"Liana." Vash asked. Wondering where she was. Instead of answering she raised her arm above the back seat so her could see where she was. He set something down in the front seat that she couldn't see. He then walked around to the back of the car and unlatched the trunk, he took something she couldn't see but heard it rustle. A few seconds later she saw him poke his head over the him of the car. Holding in his left hand a rough looking Hessian blanket.

"You want this, it'll keep the sand off you while you sleep. Even if you don't lay under it it'll make a nice pillow." He said brightly.

"Thanks." She smiled taking the blanket and draping it over her body. She felt a dull pain as it rested on the bruise on her right thigh. Vash disappeared a moment later she felt the car move a little and lower itself as it adjusted to his weight being added. After a few second she heard a paper bag rustle and Vash taking a bite out of something followed by noisy chewing.

"'Ou sur' you d'nt wan' 'un." She heard him mumble say with his mouth full. "These really good" he added swallowing the last of the doughnut After he had consumed half the bag Vash started the car. Eliana felt the lurch as the motion first kicked in and car started forward. Vash drove the car out of the town quickly, wanting to leave as soon as possible, in his opinion the quicker he got her home the better., then she could rest up. He knew for his own experience it wasn't comfortable to walk around covered in bruises. As they drove he heard her shifting around, trying to get comfortable. He rested his left arm on the back of the front seat and leaned back a little to look at her properly. 

"Sorry is it too rough for you to get comfortable." Vash asked her.

"Yeah." She answered. After a moment she sat up, wrapping the blanket about her shoulders she leaned back against the padded rear seat.. They continued in silence for another hour or so, by this time the car a long left behind the small town and once again only saw desert. Eliana had been in thought for a while when she asked Vash.

"Who was that woman who saved me yesterday." Vash paused for a moment then answered.

"Oh her that was a friend of mine, Amelia. She's a bounty hunter. She owed me a favor so I hitched a ride on her bus."

"oh, so why were you heading out that way."

"To visit Millie and the kid's at the orphanage, I thought I'd give them my usual donation early this year. But on the way were ran into those bandits that attacked. We tired to outrun them to prevent anyone getting hurt...But... ." He stopped there. In the backseat Eliana nodded sympathetically

Just as sunset had started Vash pulled the car to a stop. He looked back at Eliana who had fallen asleep. reaching over he shook her awake gently. Eliana awoke and quickly sat up straight, a little too quickly for her body's liking as ache spread throughout most of it.

"Hey sleepy were here." Vash addressed her grinning a little. Putting the blanket aside she climbed out of the car and looked at the house in front of her. It was a large house easily big enough for four people to share comfortably. The house was a tall two story building, built from yellow sandstone bricks. There were there windows in the front of the house these were covered by a slopping wooden porch that was supported by four thick and strong looking beams that rose up from the long row of wooden decking, that ran almost the whole of the front of the house. There was a door a screen door a little of centre at the front, the door was a jar and it was blown to and fro in the soft wind.

On the second floor there were only two windows, these windows, Eliana could see, doubled as doors which led out onto two balconies that rose up from the sloping porch. These were surrounded by elbow high rails held up by many thin beams of wood.

Eliana blinked in disbelief, she had never seen anything like this house.

"Wow, this is amazing how did you find this place." She asked Vash. 

"Me and my brother built it." He said proudly thumping his chest with his left fist, and looking slightly pained a few seconds later. Eliana let out a small giggle in spite of herself. 

"I'll take you to your room then get your stuff from the car okay." Vash asked. She nodded and he led the way into the house He hopped up the top steps . He pushed open the door and walked across the hall to a set of stairs. She followed silently feeling a little uncomfortable in someone else's house. This was a feeling she had never gotten used in the all years of traveling with her mother. Vash led the way up the spiral staircase looking over his shoulder to see if she was still there. Once they were at the top of the stairs he took a left turn down a short corridor past a bathroom and then took another left. He stopped at the doorway to a room. When she joined him he said.

"Hope you like it." She peered past him and into the largest bedroom she had ever seen. It was at least twice the size of her old room at the orphanage. To her immediate right was a long bed, its frame carved from wood The mattress looked soft and comfy and the white cotton sheets called out to her. next to the bed was a small table that had a candle on it. on the far wall there were was a dresser with a swing mirror on top. To the right of the table was a large wardrobe, which stood at least six feet high dwarfing all of the other furniture in the room. In front of the wardrobe room was a round table about waist height. on either side of it were two comfy looking arm chairs. In the centre of the table was a small black chest. To her left was a large set of sliding windows which led out onto one of the balconies that she had seen from outside. Next to these windows was a small writing desk.

"Wow. Vash are you sure I can have this room." Eliana spoke in mild awe. He smiled in reply.

"Sure it'll be nice to have someone else around for an change. I'll just go and bring you stuff up. make yourself at home okay." Vash said. Turning around she heard him walk down the stairs. Eliana took a few steps into the room and looked around. The chest on the table peaked her instead. Walking towards it she picked the chest on the table. She was surprised to find it was rather heavy and made from black metal. Carefully she unclipped the latch and was just about the open it when she heard footsteps in the doorway. She looked up in time to see a tall blonde man stride into the room. At first glance she thought it was Vash, the man looked eerily similar to him. Upon reaching her he stanched the box from her hand without a saying a word. He then looked down at her his eyes a shocking blue, very like Vash's but different in a way she couldn't place.

"Why are you stealing from my brother." He asked coldly. Eliana could do nothing but stare at him. He was almost terrifying.

"I said, why were you stealing from my brother." His tone raised a hint of anger creeping in. At that point the door opened again and Vash walked in carrying two kit bags in one hand. He looked between Eliana and the blonde man.

"Hi Knives, I see you've met our new house guest." He said rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Eliana sat on her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms locked around them holding them up. Her head was titled back and was resting against the wall her messy hair hanging over her eyes. She sighed as she listened to the two brothers arguing.

_"I didn't think it was gonna be like this. I didn't want to upset anyone." _

Outside in the corridor Vash had dragged Knives into she cold here exactly what both were saying. She assumed Vash had taken Knives out to the corridor to avoid her hearing what he had to say. But unfortunately Knives reaction was as Vash had suspected rather loud.

"I can't believe you brought her here Vash." She heard Knives growl.

"You don't know what happened." Vash reasoned.

"Still. That doesn't matter, you know full well how I feel about them. We came out here to get away from them, and now you're bringing one into my house." The growling voice came again, she could barely believe that two people who looked so alike could sound so different.

"Knives, you don't understand."

"I don't need to, and I don't really care. Vash it's a matter of principle you still should have warned me."

"Yeah. I know I should have." Vash spoke with an apologetic tone of voice. His tone changed a little then he followed with. "Now are you actually gonna listen to what I have to say about this?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"You know I left for the orphanage a few days ago." She heard a dull thud and felt a soft vibration through the wall. She assumed Vash had let himself fall against it as he leaned back.

"Well, me and Amelia ran into a little bandit convey that was heading for Ohio town. And we tried to get there before them, but we kind of failed. They... They killed a few people. I'm not sure how many. We stopped them. But Eliana's mom, an old friend of mine, got...badly hurt."

"So that's no reason to drag her out here. She was at an orphanage why not leave her there, or send her to her father. "

"Knives, she blames herself already." He sighed and his voice took on a weary tone, his lack of sleep becoming apparent. "And that's another thing I...there's a chance that I'm her father." He added.

"Tell me you're kidding." There was a brief moment of quiet as Knives waited for his brother to say something after a few moments he spoke again.

"I cannot believe that even you would be that stupid, you know how painful life is." He paused for a moment.

"And with one of them too."

"Knives..."

"Vash, did you even think about the ramifications of this." A deathly silence in which a pin dropping could be heard followed.

"Look Knives, her mother and me. We were in a relationship along time ago. And it got serious we slept together. I called it off not long after that, it was a bit messy. Her mom left pretty soon after, threw herself into her work. And until yesterday I hadn't seen her for years." He took another deep breath, this obviously wasn't easy for him.

"When I saw her mother again asked If Ellie was my daughter and she didn't answer me. In fact she looked downright scared of me. That's about it really."

"So you believe she is your daughter." His voice was faint now it seemed distant like he had walked away.

"I don't know, but now I might be the closest thing she has to family. She needs someone Knives." Vash's voice also sounded faint now.

"That still doesn't explain why you brought her here."

"I haven't finished yet." He said his voice showed a slight tone of irritation.

"By all means then please continue." She couldn't tell from his tone whether this was sarcasm or actual courtesy. She was leaning towards the former.

"As I was gonna say. I brought her with me because she asked me to. She wants me to train her. To be like me."

"And you are actually going to do it?"

"Yeah, when she's ready and she's gotten over her guilt."

"Vash. She's a freak."

_"I'm not! I'm not a freak, I'm normal" _Eliana unconvincingly reassured herself repeating the same lie she had told herself many a night for the last few years.

"Knives com'on she's just a kid. She doesn't seem like she could hurt anyone." Although he knew that she could shoot someone if her life or those she cared for were in danger as yesterday had proved. Vash seriously doubted that the bandit she had shot would be pointing a gun at anyone for a long time.

"Vash she was something that wasn't meant to happen." He almost shouted at Vash. A tear cut a path through the dirt and dried blood that covered her face. It was soon followed by others.

"Hey I don't give a crap whether she was meant to happen or not Knives. I'm gonna look after her, Right now I'm all she has, and if I didn't bring her with me god knows what she'd be doing right now or if she was still alive in a few months god knows what she'd be doing to keep herself that way." He was clearly getting annoyed at this point, his voice was rising a little becoming less faint.

"So she's one of them, leave her be."

"Knives don't you have any compassion for her."

"Not really." She got the impression of a shrug. Vash gave an aggravated grunt.

"Vash she too me she's one of them she's done nothing to prove otherwise." 

"Would you leave it out already." Vash snapped. There was again silence which was followed by footsteps of someone walking away. Her resolve dropped at this point, she fell sideways, landing on the soft cover, and began to cry. She felt sick, tired and cold. All Eliana wanted was to sleep. And escape reality. She had been laying there for a few minutes when the door opened she knew it was Vash without looking. She felt the bed sink a little when he sat down on it.

"You okay." He asked resting a hand on her shoulder.

_"God she's been through so much in the last day, Knives reacting like that was the last thing she needed."_

Sorry about Knives, he doesn't really like people all that much." He explained to her.

"He... I hate him, he called me a freak."

"You heard that?" 'S_he shouldn't have heard that' _He thought quickly

"Yeah I heard all of it. Everything he said about Me."

"Really, Well he doesn't mean it. Well he does but give him some time and he'll come around." Vash reassured her. "Now you need to sleep. So try okay, I'll go have another word with him."

"Okay Vash." She yawned drying her eyes a little. She snuggled up against the pillow on her bed and shifted to a more comfortable position. Vash walked toward the window, peering out he saw that it was almost dark, he pulled the two thick blue curtains closed over the large window. He turned around to find she was already asleep. Her sleeping face showed much release, he frowned at how happy she looked knowing that all the pain would come flooding back when she woke up.

Vash walked to her bedside and brushed a stand of sandy hair that seemed to be irritating her away from her face.

"Night Ellie." He said softly before leaving the room. Vash quickly strolled out of her and into the hall taking a left her headed into a corridor with a door on each side. He walked to the right door and opened it a crack, just enough to poke his head through. He slid his head through the gap and glanced at Knives with a worried look in his eyes.

"We need to talk about Eliana."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:  
**  
Eliana Stryfe felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as the hot water of the shower poured down on her. Washing away all the dirt and blood that had built up on her during the gunfight at Ohio and just after when she had held her mother and helped Vash carry her to the hospital. Already a pool of slightly muddy water had formed at her feet. She winced as soapy water washed over the nearly fresh cut on her left arm, causing a stinging sensation to burn in and around the cut.

After a few minutes when she was sure she was clean of dirt she took a bottle of shampoo, a loan from Vash, from a shelf just outside of the shower. She poured a dollop of shampoo onto her hand and ran it through her knotted and blood stained hair. Her hand came away with frothy red mixture on it. She washed her hand clean and washed began rubbing the shampoo in. Then began rinsing it clean, soon a puddle of blood water was at her feet. She repeated the process three times till she was sure that all the blood was out.

Stepping out of the shower, turning it off as she went. Eliana dried herself quickly with a towel, then took another towel and wrapped it around her head covering her hair she took the first towel and wrapped it around herself, just below the armpit. . She closed the bathroom door behind her as she left it, she walked along the corridor and turned left into her room quickly she was trying to avoid knives and any potential conflict between them.

Upon entering her room she dropped the towel around her head, which hit the floor with a squelch. She crossed the room to where Vash had left her bags. Opening one she pulled out a clean change of underwear, a pair of brown jean shorts that reached just above her knees with frayed ends and a white t-shirt. Very few of these clothes were hers' those that were had been taken from the orphanages washing line so they were still wet. Vash had brought her some clothes from a second hand shop on the way to the house. Most of it didn't really fit that well but it would do and he had promised to buy her some new clothes soon to replace the others she had left behind.

Vash sat at the kitchen table staring deeply into a cup of coffee. He'd been looking at it so long he'd forgotten why he'd made it in the first place. It had long stopped steaming and had gone cold. Even in his near meditative state he heard her coming down the stairs. He got up and walked to the doorway, when he saw her she was quietly exploring the hall she had yet to have a good look at it since she arrived two days ago. He saw her looking around the hall. She peered around at the objects that littered hall including a battered pair of his boots by the door, A small stack of metal pipes of varying lengths, next to which another pile this one of scrap metal lay.

Two paintings on the wall. She stopped for a moment to examine these, gently brushing them with the fingers to feel the paint and the faint brush strokes. One was of an almost angelic looking woman with long black hair wearing a red dress. This was the younger looking of the two, the other was much older looking. It was of a garden, thick with tree's and lush plants. In several places there were butterfly's resting on the leaves of plants like roses and hyacinths. In the gold name plate screwed into the frame the words ' the garden of Eden' were inscribed.

"Hey." She jumped at his voice.

"I didn't think anyone was home." Eliana replied quickly looking into the kitchen

"This house is surrounded by desert on ever side for at least one hundred iles, 'cept for one tiny backwater town. Where the heck would we go" She giggled at his remark and in return he smiled.

"What?"

"That's the first time I've seen you smile since I met you." Came the answer. She blinked for a few seconds before joining into the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table taking a look around the kitchen. Opposite her was a window which looked out onto the porch and the desert beyond. Below the window was a long stainless steel sink held up with two wooden supports and the plumbing exposed below. And either side of the window a set of cupboards ran along the wall at shoulder height. To the left of the window it only ran to the corner of the wall. Where as on the right the cupboards turned at right angle on the corner of the room and continued along till they met the wall behind her. Said wall was rather bare save for a cork notice board with several pieces of paper pinned to it, some of which looked like they had been there a while as they were slightly curled at the edges and a little faded.

Vash took a seat opposite her. There was an awkward silence for a moment before he spoke.

"So erm. How old are you?" _Here comes the usually painful I wanna get to know you convocation. _He inwardly groaned.

"Eighteen."

"And what do you like to do outside school?"

"Oh I don't go to school anymore, I quit when I was sixteen. I wanted to help aunt Millie teach the kids at the orphanage."

"That was nice of you."

"Well she needed help with the kids, Sophie tried to help teach the kids too but the two of them were just too busy with the upkeep of the place and stuff." She smiled though Vash could tell by the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes she regretted leaving. "So I decided to help teach them. Only basic stuff like easy math and English."

"Anything else?"

"I like to draw and paint, I was gonna try to be an artist. Y'know make my way in the world by selling my artwork." She said again he could see and hear the regret in the voice.

"That's why you were looking so closely at the painting before."

"Yeah, they're very good, are they Ruveus or Haas? I couldn't tell" She asked him, her knowledge of painters wasn't the greatest but as Gunsmoke had so few famous painters it wasn't that hard to know most of them at least by name.

"Neither. They're both done by local artists."

"Really?" She inquired. "What are they're names."

"Urm, I don't really remember sorry." Vash grinned a little in his embarrassment.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Anything else you wanna know?"

"How about your birthday?"

"Twenty first of July." She answered. Before he got a chance to ask another question she threw in one of her own.

"So what about you? What are you doing living all the way out here in the boonies?"

"Well me and Knives like to stay out of trouble you see. An' it's nice and quite out here, peaceful."

"Yeah I guess. It must be nice living out here."

"It is." Again there was moment of silence.

"Would you like something do drink?" He asked.

"Thanks, Actually I'm parched and famished. Feels like I haven't eaten in days" He got up, Turing he took taking a ceramic cup from the draining board and proceed to wash it.

"You haven't, you've been sleeping for two days, its Monday now." He answered. She sat bolt upright a little too fast for her own liking, as the larger bruises on her body burned with the sudden movement.

"You're joking!" She exclaimed gritting her teeth at the pain in her upper and lower back and in her left calf. She quickly slid back into her relaxed posture and the pain eased.

"Nah, besides its good you slept in, you'll heal faster for it."

"Yeah." The plumbing under the sink creaked a little he turned the tap and water flowed into the pipes. A few seconds later a stream of it burst out of the end of the tap and into the cup. He turned the tap off when the cup was sufficiently full.

"Hey Vash, how do you know my mom?"

"We met years ago, our jobs kind of clashed." He stopped for a moment before turning and passing the cup to her. He then slumped tiredly into the chair. His right arm resting on top of back support.

"How's that?"

"Well she's and Millie were sent, by Bernadelli, to keep and eye on me and try reduced the damage. 'Cept a fair few times they didn't manage it."

"Ah, why didn't you just move out here and keep out of trouble?"

"It was" He sighed "complicated back then, things were very different. Me and Knives weren't living together then and I was moving around a lot."

"Why's that?" _Oh god please let her stop asking questions, I didn't want her to know any of this._

"Well I was looking for someone important to me." Vash was about to add something when the creaking of the front door opening made both of them look in its general direction. There was a metallic clang and Knives entered. His hands were covered with dirt as was his brow, which was dripping with sweat, Cutting lines thought the soil there. Eliana blushed a little when she saw he was wearing no shirt, exposing a muscled chest and torso, with three faded but visible entry wound scars. Two almost parallel below the shoulders and one over his rib cage. There were one or two on his arm, but they were hardly noticeable. He walked into the kitchen and behind Eliana. As he did, shot Vash a cold look. And speaking in a tone just above a whisper he told Vash.

"You really shouldn't do that it just cause's problems." Vash looked dumbfounded for a moment then grinned a little, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I'll try and remember to water the tree's next time." Unseen to Eliana Knives gave him a slight scowl. Walked to the left of him and opened up a large cupboard taking a large sized glass jug from it. He walked to the sink and turned the cold tap on.

"How's it going?" Vash asked.

"Fine, the bulbs will bloom soon, as well the apples.

"That good. It'll be nice to eat some fresh ones for a change, instead of those icky ones the general store sells. "Vash replied he screwed up his face in a mock look of disgust to emphasize his last point.

"You're growing Apples! How?" Eliana exclaimed loudly.

"Well its kind hard to explain, something to do with plants right Knives." He looked up at him hoping his brother would indulge him and engage the girl in conversation. His hopes were briefly lifted when Knives started speaking, but shot down seconds later when he heard the word.

"We use a plant for growing things." He stated rather rudely, in tone implicating ignorance on her part was heavily present.

"Could you tell me about it?" She asked hoping for an answer.

"No." This riled her, Vash saw a spark set blaze in her eyes, one he recognized all too well. Bringing her full height of five feet eleven, still several inches shorter than knives' six feet one, and looked up at him fixing her eyes with his.

"What exactly have I done to you bar exist. Ever since I arrived you haven't said a nice word about me. In fact even though Vash tired to keep me from hearing it I heard what you said about me the other day and I've got four choice words for you. And several more a lady isn't supposed to say." She yelled at him. He remained impassive.

"And they would be."

"I'm not a freak." She screamed as loud as she could at him. Vash was grinning a little, he was pleased for once not be on the receiving end of the famous 'Stryfe temper'.

"You know, you are only other person besides him to speak to me in that tone." She looked at him a hint of despair in her eyes. Before turning around and walking out of the room and upstairs.

"That was a little mean Knives."

"In your opinion maybe. But she proved something today."

"Huh." Vash looked at him quizzically.

"She's not afraid of me anymore." Vash grinned.

"Yeah. That's a good thing too."

"Why?"

"Because I've gotta go visit his grave next week." Knives knew full well who Vash meant, and he knew it was still painful for Vash to talk about. "And that means you tow are going to have to learn to co-exist." Despite the fact he smiled at Knives he was inwardly he was a little worried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

The wind picked up and swirled around Vash as he looked down at the grave before him. Dropped his bag to the floor, along with two wooden planks and them joined it. Sitting down on the dusty ground before the gravestone. He mused that you couldn't actually it a grave stone, it was in actuality a wooden cross around his shoulder height. The wood was smooth as a well polished bar top from receiving a constant blasting by the desert sands. The name on the grave was barley legible and had faded down to almost nothing.

"Hi Wolfwood." Vash spoke quietly with a brief smile.

"I'd be kind of stupid to ask how your doing, but I did bring supplies to do the ol' place up a bit." He patted the planks at this side.

"And I got some news for you too. I might be a daddy as well. Turns out Meryl had a kid not long after she left. Eliana her name is, she's friends with Sophie." Vash reached over to his bag and pulled out a canteen, after talking a swig he replaced the canteen and resumed talking.

"They're doing okay, Soph an' Millie, Both gettin' along fine. I looked in on them a couple of weeks ago. The orphanage is still up an' running got a good bunch of kids there. I pay what I can. And what I can squeeze out of Knives." He smiled at that, as he imagined Wolfwood's reaction to him squeezing money out of his brother for a human orphanage.

"Anyway, I got you a plaque for your grave. I thought I'd save Millie and myself a few cuts caving your name every time we replace the wood, I hope Millie's not too annoyed. She gets a bit irked if I pay for too much, she doesn't want to rely on money from me. Well that's what she tells me anyway." Vash shrived a little as he cast his eyes over the mass of graves that surrounded Wolfwood's on all sides. They weren't placed in any order, over a hundred wooden cross like this one sat, marking the dead that were buried in the canyon. There weren't many conventional graveyards on Gunsmoke, as people were killed nearly every day, graveyards tended to fill up rather fast. This led to many of these abstract graveyards.

Vash talked for around a while longer, he recounted the events of the past few days, including what happened to Meryl, about meeting Eliana and her introduction to Knives, though he kept anything involving Knives rather brief. As the sun began to set he got up and began collecting rocks roughly about the size of his fist. When he had collected a small pile. Vash returned to where he had left his things. He dug a small pit with his hands and placed the rocks around the pit to form a circle. He then took a pile of kindling and some broken fragments of wood from his bag. Placing the kindling in the small pit he took a match and struck it. Setting the kindling ablaze he carefully placed the large pieces of wood around the wood, to cover it and make a campfire. After it had taken, he lay back resting his head on the bag, one leg bent the other resting on top of it.

He sat in silence for a while watching the last rays of the sun disappear over the edges of the canyon. He was grateful for the light of the fire.

_"Man this place'd be damn creepy in pitch black. But there's nowhere close by to stay." _He stayed like that for a while before a fitful sleep claimed him. Unfortunately for him, he wouldn't get a peaceful awakening either.

Eliana sat alone in the garden of Vash and Knives' house. Even after a week of getting used to it she still found this garden a miracle. It was as large as a small Thomas paddock. Thick green grass that looked like it was rarely cut. The garden had a wooden fence surrounding it. It was around her chest height, and with a little bit of effort she could hoist herself onto of it. Parallel to the fence, running along its entire length, were two rows of trees one row was made of apple trees the other was a tree she couldn't name. It seemed to have no fruit and just be a tree. In the centre of the garden were four rows of crops, corn, potatoes, wheat and sugar cane. Scattered around the garden were a few pretty flower beds, mostly she had been told that Knives had planted and grown all of the beds bar a tiny bed of flowers almost hidden from view by the tree's. They were the only ones grown by Vash. He had told her he had helped raise the trees and the crops. In addition to the plant life there was a small outbuilding used for storing the tools Knives and Vash used to tend this garden.

She had lost count of time days ago, having left her watch behind. She had no real means to tell time, bar the few clocks scattered around the house. But she didn't see them often enough to get a good bearing. Hours and minutes seemed to slip away till the days were only broken down into day and night time. Frustration was begging to mix with boredom for her, which often proved to be a near fatal for those in close proximity to her. She hadn't been able to draw or paint, Vash had been gone for almost two days and trying to get convocation out of Knives was like trying to draw blood from a stone with a toothpick. As she finished counting the tree's in the garden for the seventh time she let out an audible growl of.

"Fifty two fuckin' trees." She wanted to break something, anything. She slammed her clenched hand into the wide fence beam she was sitting on. And then let out a mild cry of pain. Before doing it again. This time it hurt more.

"Owie." She moaned. Cradling the hand for a moment before raising it to do it again.

"Stop that you'll break your hand." Came the stern voice of Knives. She looked up and saw him leaning against a tree watching her, His hair and eyes looking off color in the waning light, the blonde parts of his hair looked almost orange and the cold eyes looking a sea green instead of blue. He wore a crimson shirt and black, possibly blue jeans, she couldn't tell the exact color in this light.

"Why do you care?" She blurted out.

"I don't." He shrugged "But if you break your hand, Vash will blame me and that means he'll moan at me. And if there's one thing I can't stand its Vash when he moans." In a futile act of defiance she did it once more. Though she tried as hard as she could to hide the pain it hurt. A lot. Knives smiled a little.

"What! What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

"Well then why are you grinning like an idiot?"

"Because doing that again just to spite me proved nothing."

"Yeah well, well screw you!" He raised an eyebrow at her insult.

"I have been insulted with far worse in my time girl."

"Girl. I'm eighteen, Bub, that means I'm an adult."

"In my eyes, since your acting like a three year old. It doesn't."

"God! You are so much like my mother." She hopped down from the fence and fixed him with an angry glare. Knives allowed his smile to turn into a smirk, if this was the famous Stryfe death glare Vash had warned him about he had seriously exaggerated.

"You know, there are far more productive things to do than trying to break your hand."

"Like what?"

"Begin your training." He stated flatly.

"But Vash is supposed to teach me."

"Vash isn't here, and I assure you, I am just as good as him." He added as an after thought. "If not better at certain things."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." She paused for a moment and considered how much her hand really did ache. And weather training with Knives would be preferable to sitting around doing nothing, going stark raving mad. She quickly chose the former option.

"When do we start?" Eliana asked mildly trepidations.

Vash was rudely awoken by a loud metallic thud. With a cry he scrambled to his feet and on pure instinct dew his gun and thrust its barrel in the rough direction of the noise. Once he opened his eyes fully and they had cleared he saw the smiling face of a raven haired young woman. Looking at him down the barrel of his long colt. Smiling like he was holding a fluffy bunny instead of a gun that could easily take her head from her shoulders.

"Good Morning Mr. Vash." She greeted him cheerily.

"Oww, not so loud." He groaned. Rubbing his head and replacing the six shooter in its holster at his hip. He slunk down to the ground and letting out a deep breath.

"Sorry Mr. Vash. I didn't mean to wake you up like that." The girl, still smiling, sat down and adjusted her white bandanna, worn more to keep the sun off her raven hair than for fusion. She had been wearing a sand colored dirty ankle length jacket, which was now at her feet. Underneath that she was wearing a black shirt, half heartedly tucked into a knee length black skirt. A large metal box sat a few feet behind her. It was roughly a meter long and a half a meter wide. An ornate cross, with a rose thorn pattern weaving intricately around it was welded to the lid. Vash had quickly figured out the identity of the girl from the raven black hair and cheery blue-grey eyes.

"Sophie?" He asked." What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Visiting Dad's grave silly." Replied the daughter of Mille Thompson.

"Oh yeah." He rubbed the back of his head feeling a little embarrassed.

"Well it's sure nice to see you again, I haven't spoken to you in what three years? Huh Mr. Vash."

"Yeah something like that." He looked at the remnants of the fire he had started last night and gave a small groan. It had died almost to the point of extinction. He had been hoping for a hot breakfast. Shifting sideways so he could get at his bag better he opened it and after rooting around for a few seconds found a set of mess tins, the smaller of the two fitted snugly inside the smaller. Taking them out he shook them to check the contents was still inside. The tins rattled indicating so. He pulled the top, smaller, tin off and exposed the contents. A cut down knife and fork, trimmed to fit in the tin, a sandwich wrapped in brown paper. Two Calvary ration bars and piece of paper. Written on it bold black letters was.

'Vash. IOU one doughnut.' The signature at the bottom read 'Vash the Stampede'. His hopes mildly dashed he peeled back the wrapping on the ration bar and took a bite. Over the years he had gotten used to foul tasting ration bars, which usually claimed to taste of some kind of fruit. However they were good for you, and contained a lot of things the body needed to work efficiently. Or so it claimed anyway.

"Mr. Vash?" He looked up from the ration bar and at her.

"Hmm?" He murmured his moth still full.

"Well, I was wondering, how well did you know my Dad? Cuz mom told me that you an' him traveled together for a while."

"We were, well I guess best friends is good way to describe it."

"Really? Wow. Could you erm err maybe tell me a bit about him?"

"Sure I guess." Vash scratched his head thinking for a moment. "Did your mom ever tell you how we met him?" She shook her head.

"Well it was about a week before fifth moon. Me, Your mom and Meryl were on a bus heading to Jenora rock. When off in the distance I spotted this glimmer. And well if you ask Meryl and Millie they'll say they only went to investigate cuz I made so much noise. But in reality it was my persuasive powers that convinced them. Anyway the bus driver went over to the spot. And we found your dad almost buried in the sand, carrying his Cross."

"Really? Could you tell me anymore?"

"Yeah sure, I've got a ton of stories, but I'll finish this one first." She smiled and nodded allowing Vash to continue his story.

"Well anyway after we gave him some water. He thanked Millie and Meryl for saving him. But they told him it was me. After almost blowing my cover. As the bounty on me hadn't been long lifted then. And some people didn't still know 'bout that." She listened intently on his every word.

"Well we got talkin' and he explained he was a traveling priest and bummed a lift from the bus driver in giving a lift, after showing him his portable-confessional." That got a quizzical look for Sophie. "When we stopped for a break, we were talking and these kids and their mom walked by. And the kids were begging their mom for food. But she didn't have a scrap on her. So your dad gets up right and he takes these three biscuits out of his pocket. And he gives on to each kid and keeps one himself. It was the nicest thing I'd seen anyone do in a while. Especially as we were all hungry and thirsty on that bus ride. It made me smile Y'know. Then he said something about me I'll never forget as long as I live."

"What?" She queried.

"You always smile all cheerfully. But its so empty that it hurts to look at you. I see you hurting' and just grinning to bear it. Its nice to see you can actually smile."

"Well anyway. We got back on the bus, an' it got to nightfall and we were still going, and while Meryl was in the bathroom. He took her seat next to your mom, and ended up sleeping on her. She was very taken with him from the off." Vash laughed a little. "Mind you, I think he was too." Sophie smiled at him.

"Can I hear another one?"

"Sure, I'm not sure what one to tell you next though." He paused for a second.

"Say did your mom ever tell you about the time we ran into a killer insurance man?" She giggled at his use of the phrase 'killer insurance man'

"No, but it sounds like a good one."

"Well it began when me and Wolfwood were staying in the town of Meldreck."

Eliana stared blankly around the basement of the brothers' house. Two windows let light in, as well as three strip light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The room itself was built from thick grey cinder blocks to keep the sand of the desert out. She was amazed at the sheer volume of items that occupied the small room. There was a work bench which was littered with metal and oddly shaped objects she had never seen before, a low exercise bench, two metal rings hanging from the ceiling, as well as metal bar. Also hanging from the ceiling was a pulley wheel with a rope attached to a small wooden crate, containing lots of scrap metal, dangling from it. In the far corner was a knee high wine rack, half filled with bottles of both red and white wines. There was also a stack of weights and dumbbell bars by the stairs, in addition to these at the far end of the room was a row of five cardboard targets, three shaped like people and two round ones. They were mostly filled with bullet holes.

"So this is where you two train?" She asked Knives. He nodded in response.

"So can we get started?" Knives nodded.

"We'll start with press ups, I assume you know how to do them."

"Press ups?"

"Yes."

"Why do I need to do press ups?"

"Because to be able to fire a gun you need to be able to withstand the recoil. From what Vash told me, you can barely handle the kick from a derringer. A Long Colt would probably dislocate your arm."

"So I need to get stronger?"

"Not just stronger, faster. Learning to fight is not just about shooting, you need to be able to move efficiently in conjunction with that."

"I see." Came the disheartened reply.

"This is what you wanted."

"Yeah I know, I just didn't think it would take so much work."

"What did you expect? To spend two weeks practicing and be as good as us?"

"Not really." She sounded embarrassed.

"To learn to how to fight like Vash does will take a lot of hard work. He spent years becoming as good as he is. If you ever want to be a fraction of what we are I expect you to listen to and follow instructions."

"What do you think I am your lackey?" He raised an eyebrow and turned around, as he walked up the stairs, looking back over his shoulder he said.

"When you're serious about doing this then you can come find me." He was almost to the top when he heard.

"Knives, Wait!" He allowed himself a smile then turned around and walked down the steps.

"Yes?"

"I'll do what you want. I... I have to. I've got no other choice."

"Let's begin."

Vash wiped the sweat from his brow with his right hand. Then resumed the task at hand, grasping the wooden cross' arms with both hands he dug his feet into the sand and pushed downwards, driving the newly made wooden cross into the sand, in order to keep it upright. With a grunt he pushed down as hard as he could and after a few seconds began to feel the wooden object sink into the sand. When it stopped sinking, he dug in, grunted and pushed down again. This time it sank a little further to roughly the same level as the old one had been at. Stepping back Vash cast an eye over his work and wiped his brow again.

"There, all done."

"It looks good doesn't it Mr. Vash." Sophie remarked. Vash rolled his eyes.

"Would you quit it with the Mister already."

"Sorry, Mr... I mean Sorry Vash."

"Thanks, I always feel old if anyone calls me Mister." _Older than she knows._

"Vash? do you have anymore stories. Cuz the last one told me. I already knew." He paused a moment and looked at her. He could see him in her. Definitely. As he stared she noticed he was looking at her.

"What is it?"

"How do you think of your father?"

"As a good, kind, generous man, who traveled the land doing the holy fathers work and helping people like you. He almost never resorted to violence." He his stomach felt like it was doing flips as he saw the idolization in those eyes, something he'd seen in her mother's eyes to. He gulped down a deep breath.

"Sophie. What I'm about to tell you might be hard to hear." He thought back to convocation between him and Wolfwood almost Twenty years ago now.

Vash and Wolfwood sat outside a bar in a small backwater town. Vash nursing his upper arm slightly from a recent bullet wound. While Wolfwood sat staring over his drink and Vash's shoulder at the crowd behind them. His eyes with a distant look in them. Vash stretched the arm a little and felt the stitches in it pull so he quickly gave the effort up not wanting to tear the fresh stitches out. Using his left arm he picked up the drink in front of him and took a sip. The cool liquid ran down his throat giving it and him much needed refreshment. It crossed his mind that he'd forgotten when he last had something to drink. Taking a longer sip he smiled.

"Man that's good stuff. Sure hits the spot well." This got no reaction from Wolfwood. He looked over at him and saw the vacant look.

"Hey Wolfwood?" Nothing.

"Yo Wolfwood?"

"Hello Wolfwood anyone ho-ome?" He chimed. At this Wolfwood looked up.

"Whad' ya say, Spikey?"

"Your awfully quiet, unusually quiet somethin' up?"

"Not really." Vash cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'you aren't fooling no one.'

"Alright, look behind you." He slowly looked over his shoulder, half expecting a hoard of armed gunmen to be there. But there was a statue of local dignitary or someone of the like. Around the base a small family played. A father and his to children, one a boy and the other a girl. Obviously twin, both had coffee brown hair. The boy was shirtless and wore a pair of shorts. While the girl wore a sunflower colored dress. The father wore slacks and an unkempt looking, paint stained shirt. All three raced around kicking a ball between them. The mother of the family a smart looking woman in a blue dress that reached her knee's, with an apron over the top. Laughed as she watched her family play.

"Don't they look happy."

"Yeah." Vash smiled. It was nice to see parents playing with their kids, it didn't happen that much nowadays the parents were too busy working and there were a lot of single parents around.

"Just makes me think, that's all. What I'm gonna be like with kids."

"You've always been great with kids. Well whenever I've seen you with them anyway."

"Yeah, but it's different when their your flesh an' blood."

"I guess."

"Yeah, I'd reckon so." There was a brief pause.

"Spikey, Y'know me an Millie have been getting kind of close recently. I got a favor to ask." A momentary look of horror crossed Vash's face.

"She's not... I mean you've not." This got a smile from the priest.

"Nope, Nothing' like that, its just... If I ever have kids. Y'know flesh an' blood kids. I want you tell 'em everything. 'Bout me the good an' the bad stuff." Vash nodded slowly.

"Sure... I guess."

"No. Vash you gotta promise me."

"Okay. If it means that much to you. I promise."

"Twenty one."

"This hurts." Eliana growled performing her twenty second press up. Her lower legs were resting on top of one of the benches in the basement one crossed over the other. Her body was rigidly straight she went down, then pushed herself back to complete the exercise.

"Its supposed too, Twenty two." Knives replied nonchalantly. He was sitting in a chair that placed near the work bench. His hands were working several small metal objects she couldn't see.

"Really, I think your making me do this to get back at me." Her words ripped out in rags between deep, heavy breaths.

"Would I do that? Twenty three."

"Yes."

"True. Twenty four."

"Ugh, I cant believe you just admitted that." Again the sentence came out in between gasps of breath.

"Twenty five, Your done." She slumped forward, landing roughly on the concert floor, all the tension in keeping her body straight now gone. Replaced by a constant ache in her upper arm muscles, as well as those around her shoulder. Sweat ran off her in beads, and wet patches had formed on the back of her t-shirt.

"That wasn't bad for a first try. Soon you'll be doing a hundred a day." She didn't reply. Considering talking a waste of precious air at the moment. Plus cursing him wouldn't really do any good anyway. He would just ignore it like he always did. There was an audible click, then she heard him murmur.

"All done." He rose from his seat and walked to a spot where light flooded in from the open windows. Holding the metal object up to the light. The strip lights were turned off as it was too hot in the room for them to be on and the windows provided adequate lighting. He turned the object over in his hands several times. Inspecting ever inch of it.

"I just finished the chamber of your gun." He announced.

"Really?" She replied, she had now rolled onto her back it was a far more comfortable position that just lying slumped on the stone floor. Which she mused was having a nice cooling effect on her.

"Yes."

"You're making me a gun?"

"Of course, I made Vash's."

"How come you don't just buy them?" She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him and the cylindrical shaped bullet chamber he was holding.

"Superior craftsmanship. Plus this type of gun is hard to come by."

"If you say so." There was a pause before Knives spoke.

"It's nearing midday." He said looking out of the window. "You should rest, we'll start again the morning." She nodded grudgingly. Feeling her stomach rumble she looked at Knives. She hadn't seen him eat a thing all day.

"Knives?" He looked at her briefly then sat back down at the desk and began rifling through the pieces of metal on the desk.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"If it isn't poisoned."

"Hey!" He smirked as she stormed up the stairs muttering.

"Humans." He shook his head and resumed his work.

"Vash?" came the hesitant voice.

"Hrm." He looked up at the raven haired girl. Pulled back from his memories of times long gone, by her voice. Reaching for his canteen and brought it too his lips. Tipping his head back he drank deeply. Wishing that it was in some way contained alcohol.

"Is it 'bout my dad?" She asked before he had time to speak. He nodded. And swallowed one last gulp of water.

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

"He's not, I mean he wasn't the guy you think he is. Sure he was kind and helped people in trouble. But there was another side to him. A darker one." He drew in a deep breath.

"He killed people. A lot of people. And, he did things he was ashamed of. He was a good man, But he just wasn't the saint you think he is." Her eyes welled up a little. Tears starting to form. Vash sat still for a moment looking at her. He hated himself for what he'd just done, he had just shattered a girl illusions of her father .

"He made me promise, Your dad. To tell you everything about him. I didn't wanna but I promised. He made me." His voice was cold, devoid of its usual life. He balled his hand into a tight fist, it was all he could do to stop from crying.

"But Mom said..."

"I know. She was just trying to give the best image of him."

"Why?"

"Soph, your mom loved him very much, as much as one person can another. She has a way of seeing the best in everyone y'know. She can always see an ounce of goodness in even in the darkest people." He paused

"She wanted you to think well of him, think of him like she does."

"Yeah I guess." She smiled a little and wiped her eyes.

"Do you wanna here another story." Her eyes lit up.

"If you promise not to sugar-coat it."

"I do."

"Then yes I wanna hear another story." She beamed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: **

Knives groaned as he forcefully shifted the car's gear stick. With a stalwart grunt he pushed it forward and car shifted up a gear with an awful groan. He didn't like cars that much, but Vash had insisted he take it, Walking a short three iles the desert sun would not normally phase him, but his teenager charge who was currently sitting in the back of the car had objected to walking. Rather loudly in fact. In the end he had given in when Vash had interrupted. For some reason he had been in a hurry to make sure both of them left quickly. He pondered this for a moment before returning to keeping his eyes on the road, if you could call the dirt track ahead of him a road.

"Where we goin'" Eliana's voice came above the engine noise.

"To see a plant."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"The circumstances." She rolled her eyes and decided to end the convocation there. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to tell her anymore. The rest of the ride went in silence till a small cliff edge came into view. Knives slowed the car down and brought it too a stop. Opening it the side door he hopped down to the ground and mentioned for Eliana to follow. She got out and looked down into the valley below, it was a steep forty five degree angle down a rocky cliff to a small flat piece of land at the bottom. In the centre of this was a plant bulb, it looked huge even from this distance. There was a small metal building surrounding the base of the plant. Covering the lower half of the bulb and a tower with a gantry going up to the upper workings. A series of cables ran from the buildings base to near the top of the cliff where they disappeared into the ground, in the direction of the house.

"Wow."

"Hurry up." He called to her having already begun the speedy decent down the slope. It required either a fast walk or a slow careful decent. He knew the route down well and went it down it fast. Eliana clumsily followed behind stumbling every few meters occasionally falling. Every time she fell he would stop and start again when she was on her feet, despite this there was still a good ten meters between them. When they reached the bottom after fifteen minutes he shot her a quick glance. She Her jeans were ripped and the frayed ends of the rip were stained with a little blood from the cut on her knee from a bad fall in addition to this she had a few scrapes on her arms, but nothing serious.

"Owie." She moaned pouring some water from her canteen into her hand and washing her knee clean.

"You'll learn to ignore it."

"But it hurts."

"If you can't ignore a little scrape then how are you going to handle getting shot?" She didn't answer.

"Come on, She's waiting."

"Huh? Who's waiting?"

He nodded his towards the large plant and then started walking towards it, brushing the dust of his slacks and shirt as he did.

"Her."

"What do you mean her?" She asked running after him. "And you could have the decency to wait for me, after dragging me out here."

"It was you who wanted to come with me." He began climbing the short fight of steps up to the think metal door which led into the plant proper. The door itself was made of thick metal, scorched by the sun. A large wheel, used for turning the thick deadlocks in the door, was set in the centre of the door. He gripped it and turned it around twice, before a heavy thud was heard. He gave the door a hard push and it swing open. As it did so Eliana saw it was at least twelve inches thick. The musty, over powering smell of sale air emanated from the inside of the building. Indicating that it hadn't been used for a while anyway. She coughed upon breathing it in as she stepped inside. Looking around she saw cobwebs, dust, discarded pieces of metal and a few tools, this place had obviously been abandoned not long after its construction. Knives to the lead dictating the pace despite the fact that she was following rather slowly, favoring her leg a little. He led her down the single corridor in the building there were seem to be no others, but they did pass several doors on the way but all of them were padlocked shut. After a short while the corridor opened up into large room with a walkway which surrounded the base of the plant bulb that rose up out of the roof. Outside the bulb had looked big, but up close it was huge. Knives strode into the room approaching the bulb. He put one hand on it and looked up at the object in the centre.

"Hello again sister."

_'Sister?'_

She curiously approached keeping her eyes fixed for any movement from the bulb. An eerie chill ran up her spine, and her head seemed to buzz, yet it was not an uncomfortable. Maybe this was what everyone felt like when they entered a plant. Out of everyone she knew she was the only person to have entered a plant. As she joined Knives she turned around leaned her back, lifting her leg a little on the handrail of the walkway the edge happy to take the weight off her bleeding knee. Knives reached up and put and hand on the bulb.

"How are you today?" He asked.

_'Who the heck is he talking too?'_

"Good, did the equipment cause you any pain?"

_'Okay this just freaky now.'_

"Who the heck are you talking too?"

"Tane."

"Who's Tane?"

"Look into the bulb, she'll show herself if she wants to." Came the nonchalant answer. She turned and peered up into the bulb. At fist nothing seemed to be there, then something seemed to appear from the mist inside two glowing orbs, that seemed to be getting closer to her. It was only when they got close to glass could she could begin to make out what they were and when they blinked she screamed.

"Do de do do doop de de do do." Vash sang to himself as he swept the floor of Brightridge general store. It was a smallish shop, with two racks of shelves that stretched almost from floor to room on either wall stocked with various items, there was also a counter with a till, and the weekly town paper stacked on it, beside the counter He was currently working one of his two jobs in Brightridge, as a shop keeper. He worked in the store three days a week, and the other two he spent working as barman in the evening's neither paid all that well, but it was better than backbreaking labor working in a mine. And he enjoyed both jobs, he got to talk to people and enjoy company.

It was still early and still quiet. So he'd taken the opportunity to do some cleaning as it looked like Ms. Fitzgerald, his boss, hadn't gotten around to it over the weekend. Vash smiled. He was mildly content for once. It finally seemed as though things were starting to look up.

"Alex. Is that you?" Came a call from the backroom of the shop. Vash looked up and called back.

"Yeah it me Ms. Fitzgerald." He called back, answering to his alias.

"Oh, I didn't expect y'all to be in today." She called back.

"I thought I'd work off some of my holiday time." He replied cheerily.

"That's okay hon." He resumed sweeping and his song. After a few minutes the bell above the door rung as it opened.

"Good mornin'" He greeted the person automatically without looking up.

"Hello, oh Mr.Vash." His head shot up, he breathed a mild sigh of relief to see the smiling face of Mille.

"Millie! you've gotta call me Alex."

"Oops, I'm sorry Mr. Alex." She giggled. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Is that a customer Alex?"

"No Ms. Fitzgerald."

"Who is it then?"

"A friend of mine."

"Okay Hon." Millie stifled a laugh, while he rolled his eyes and groaned.

"She calls everyone that okay."

"Of course 'Alex'." came the smiling reply, she walked over to the shelves on his left, and began browsing through some of them items.

"Lookin' for anything in particular?" He asked.

"Well I was looking for some pudding for me and Sophie." She suddenly sounded downhearted. "Aww you've sold out." He smiled, walking to the counter, he reached over it and felt around for something after a few seconds his hand grasped it. He pulled it up and held it before Millie.

"I saved you a pack." He presented her with a box containing ten cans of pudding.

"OH! thanks you very much!." She as hopped up and down clapping her hands. Just as she always did when she was happy.

"Heh, heh don't worry about it Millie, besides I think I still owe you a few anyway."

"Oh that's okay Alex. What with having helped each other out a ton of times I stopped counting." He shrugged. And resumed sweeping

"So is this where you work Alex?"

"Yeah, I work nights in bar sometimes too."

"Its nice, Alex do you think you could get a break anytime soon?"

"Yeah sure." He turned slightly and cupping one hand around his mouth called out "Ms. Fitzgerald I'm taking my break early today okay?"

"Yeah sure Hon, whenever you want."

"Thanks, I'll be back in around an fifteen minutes, is that okay?"

"Sure Hon." He unfastened his apron at the waist, pulled it off and tossed it behind the counter, propping the broom against the counter. Leading the way out he and Millie crossed the main high street to the small cafe opposite the shop. As he opened the door and stepped inside Vash waved to the young woman behind serving tea to an old couple.

"Mornin' Jezebel. Two coffee's please." He called. She nodded to him and resumed her work. They took a seat by the door Vash sitting opposite Millie.

"Thank you for taking care of her."

"Her?"

"Eliana. I'm glad someone good like you is looking after her." The woman Vash had said hello too placed two cups of coffee in front of him and Millie.

"She asked me if she could come along, beside if I might be her father, then I couldn't really say no could I."

"Do you think she's your daughter?"

"I'm not sure, I was kind of hoping you'd know. I haven't really talked to Meryl for a long while, since we broke up really." He looked down into his cup coffee, as if its empty blackness would contain the answers he needed.

"Meryl never really told me much about her, I didn't hear from her, for a while, then one day I just got a letter from her out of the blue saying she was coming to stay and she something very important to tell me." She poured three packets of sugar into her cup and stirred it.

"And then around a week later she turns up, at the orphanage and she has Eliana with her, she was about one at the time."

"Hmm, so you've no idea?"

"Meryl would never talk about it."

"Oh."

"She only told me bits about Eliana, like her birthday, and things about her."

"What was she like as a kid?"

"She didn't have a very happy childhood, Meryl tired to be a good mom, but she was always busy with work and they moved around a lot. She can be handful sometimes too."

"Really?" He sipped his coffee. "I've hardly heard a peep out of her since she arrived."

"She must be upset about Meryl. I think she blames herself."

"Yeah." He downed the rest of the cup quickly. "She does."

"I brought some of her things, as she took of so quickly, I thought she could do with them."

"Thanks Millie, are you gonna wait around till I get off work, or just drop them by the house on your way back?"

"I'll wait."

"He won't be there."

"He?"

"Knives, he's out working with a plant."

"Oh don't be silly Alex, I wouldn't avoid your brother, I just don't like intruding into other peoples homes. Plus I'm not too sure on the route." He smiled and nodded.

"Well I should get back to work, I can get offer early if I go back now."

"Sure Alex." She smiled, she still wasn't used to calling him that. They both got up and left the shop, Vash crossing the street, calling out to Millie as he did so.

"I'll meet you at noon."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: **

She was three quarters of the way up the incline leading to the plant when knives caught up to her. As he reached her she turned to him.

"Take me back, Now!." She cried. She was shaking violently, her pupils wide, tears beginning to run to her face. This was fear, a fear he hadn't seen a long time, the last time was in the eyes of a man staring down the barrel of a gun, begging for his life.

"Don't just stand there, I wanna go back! Now!" Her voice was shaky, she was bordering on hysterical. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not ready to leave yet." Her eyes widened.

"Fine then, I'll walk home." She started up the slope again. He sighed and followed

"Alright, let's go." He replied dryly. Walking fast he overtook her in a few quick strides and walked up the hill towards the where the car was parked. Reaching it a few moments ahead of her he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine ticking over. Just as she climbed into the back of the car, he started to drive. She wormed down into the seat and wrapped her arms around her body tightly she was shivering, her eyes wide and wild. Shock most likely, he thought. He'd seen several similar cases before. Most of them had been shock. He cast his eyes back to track, although he knew it was unlikely to actually see another vehicle out this far but if he were to veer of the track then they could end up lost. He inwardly cursed Vash for making him take the girl, he'd planned on doing some follow up tests that were rather important. Actually while he was thinking about it he cursed Vash for bringing the girl in the first place. He could have left her behind, rather than kid both himself and her, then having the result being both of them ending up hurting when the truth came out.

There was a sudden bump as the car hit a small sand dune, and rose over it and dropped down the other side. As they landed the car jolted and there was a soft thud for the backseat. He looked behind and saw Eliana had fallen to side and was laying there. Still hugging herself, still shaking.

"Did she talk to you?" No answer came.

"Did she talk to you, the plant?" He asked again, and again no answer came.

"At least sit up." he barked. She acknowledged by pushing herself up gingerly, her arms, shaking as they were, seemed to lose all strength. When was she was up again he asked.

"Why are you so afraid of the plant?"

"It...It...It..."

"It what?"

"I want to go home!" She cried out. He rolled his eyes and returned to watching the road.

Several minutes they arrived at the house. Knives brought the car to stop with a squeal of breaks, a small cloud of dust rising from behind the car. As he brought it to stop the two people standing in the doorway looked over at him. He looked quizzically at Vash and the tall brown haired woman who stood, just outside the front door for a brief moment for opening the door of the car and walking around to the back. He stepped up onto the foot board opened the door and looked at Eliana.

"Come on, you'd be better off inside." She looked at him, she was a wreck, her eyes wide, pupils small, mouth hanging open a fraction. Still shaking a little. However it wasn't as bad as before.

"Come on." He urged. He shook her mildly. He had the feeling that she wouldn't have been able to get out the car if she'd wanted to. Stepping up into the dip in the back seat, he pulled her closer and scooped her up in his arms. His left around her back, holding her under her arms, his right under her legs. He stepped off the footboard and turned around to face the tall woman. She appeared to be taller than he first thought, at least as tall as himself and Vash.

"What did you do to her?" She demanded. Her fists clenching in anger.

"Nothing." He walked around her and to the door of the house, where Vash stood.

"Knives, what..."

"She's in shock." He pronounced. Knowing Vash, just well as he, would know how to treat shock. Vash nodded, he stepped into the house leading the way to the kitchen. When the entered Knives went to the table, slid a chair out from under the table using his foot and gently placed her down onto the chair. Meanwhile Vash had taken a glass from the cupboard filling it mostly with water, reached up and took a bottle containing a brown liquid from the same cupboard, poured a little a of it into the glass and took it to Eliana.

"Here drink this." He pushed it into her hands. A second later Millie stormed into the room. Vash grimaced, he'd not seen her this angry for a long time.

"What the heck did you do her!" She demanded.

"As I said, nothing."

"Then why is she like that!"

"When we are at the plant, she just screamed and ran out, when I caught up to her she demanded I bring her back."

"You expect me to believe that."

"Yes." He turned his back and walked to the sink, taking a glass from the cupboard he began to fill it with water his, his eyes blazed with anger. Vash leaned close to Millie and whispered.

"Millie stop."

"You expect me to trust this murderer!" This was quickly followed by the sound of breaking glass. Both of the looked up to see the remains of a glass on next to the sink and knives striding out of the room. There was a loud thud as he slammed the front door behind him. Millie immediately rushed to Eliana who had downed the contents of glass Vash given her. She squatted down beside the girl and looked concerned.

"What did he do to you sweetie." She asked stroking Eliana's hair. This got a reaction almost instantly. She recoiled from Millie's hand and pushed the chair back rising to her feet.

"I'm not a kid Y'know! I'm old enough to look after myself." She stormed past Millie and up the stairs. A few seconds later there was another heavy thud. Millie looked at Vash. He sighed.

"I suppose I should go talk to her."

"No I'll go, I upset her, I should've known better." Vash nodded and slumped into the kitchen chair. This day was not going well, he wondered what else could go wrong.

Millie, who had followed Eliana upstairs looked around curiously, she realized she had no idea which room was Eliana's, she picked the door closest and knocked on it.

"What!" came from inside.

"Ellie, honey it's me. Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Millie opened the door and entered the room, she looked around the room, seeing it was empty, she noticed the open balcony doors and stepped out onto the balcony. Eliana stood her arms folded, resting on the edge of the rail.

"You okay." Millie asked. She nodded her head.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No! It was just the heat okay, it got to me on the drive okay."

"Whatever you say, we'll talk about it when we get home." Millie gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and began to walk out of the room. She stayed where she was, looking out over the desert.

"This is home" Came the cold answer "I'm staying here."

"What!"

"You can't stay here! Your mother wouldn't allow it."

"My mother is in a coma three hundred iles from here, she can hardly object."

"You shouldn't speak like that, and besides who will take care you?"

"Vash and Knives look after me."

"But he's a killer, a cold blooded murderer, a..." Eliana interrupted her mid sentence.

"He's nice to me."

"What do you mean?"

"He treats me nicely, helps me."

"He's lying to you, open your eyes!"

"No he's not, give me a tiny bit of credit, please."

"Ellie."

"Aunt Millie I have to do this."

"NO! you don't. You can come back with me and go back to normal."

"I have too, I promised her." A look of realization dawned on Millie she spoke

"Oh."

"And don't worry, I'll be okay. I promised her that too."

"That's okay honey, but just in case you'll always have a home with me and Sophie okay."

"I know."

Vash smiled as he saw Knives walk over the dune just at the edge of the horizon. Silhouetted in the early twilight. It took him around twenty minutes to get to the house. When he arrived he walked to Vash and sat down beside him. Vash handed him a glass of water which he downed in one.

"Is she still here?"

"No, Millie left."

"I meant the girl."

"Oh."

"I take she's still here then?"

"Yeah she's upstairs, sleeping."

"Ah."

"Y'know you should give her a chance. She's probably gonna be around a while. So maybe you should open up to her a little."

"Why?"

"She's a good kid, her hearts in the right place."

"That depends on your point of view."

"Yeah, but it might be a little easier for the both of you if you got along."

"I suppose." There was brief pause before he spoke again.

"You know she can't be what you want her to be you know."

"What do you mean?"

"She isn't your daughter Vash. I think you know that too."

"But me and Meryl."

"Believe me Vash if you'd had a child, I think you would know about it, feel it."

"Yeah I guess, but there' still a chance she could right?"

"If you want there to be one." Knives answered, getting up he walked into the house closing the door behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**:

"I cant believe you told her!" Vash shouted as he walked across the desert, followed closely by Knives.

"What was I supposed to say?"

"Anything other than that."

"Oh so now I'm supposed to lie to girl, as well as tolerate her."

"Well, she's run away now, Happy?"

"Actually no. Because you're dragging me after her."

"Well it's your fault were out here in the first place."

"How's that?"

"Because you went and told her fucking everything, that's why!"

You never told me to lie to the girl, As a matter of fact, I seem to remember warning you about it too."

"Shut up." He growled.

Three hours previous.

Knives and Eliana were in the basement, both conducting their now daily ritual of her exercising and his working on the parts of her gun, However at that moment he sitting close to her on a small chair counting her press ups as she did them, over the past month or so since she had began her training with him, she had been steadily getting better. Her stamina and strength had increased by a small portion, she could now do around sixty press ups and had moved on to add other excises such as sit ups and bench press's

"Thirty."

"Knives?"

"Thirty one, Yes."

"Why...did... Millie call you a murderer." Came the nervous question

"Thirty two. Because I am." She stopped and looked up at him

"What? What Happened?" He leaned back a little in his chair and crossed his arms.

"It's not something we need to discuss. Thirty three."

"Fine." She muttered doing her thirty third press up.

"So, you really killed someone?"

"The first time?" She hesitated when he spoke, and looked up at him, Uncertain. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward gently resting his hand on her shoulder pushed down.

"Thirty Four." She did as she was told.

"Thirty Five." There was a momentary pause. "I shot a man in the head."

"Why?"

"He was in my way."

"In you way of what?"

"I couldn't change the course coordinates while he was at the control terminal, besides he would have tired to change the co-ordinates of the..."

"Y'know, dictionary brain, most people use normal words for those things."

"Ships." He finished '_Didn't Vash tell you anything?' _He got up and walked across the room to the work table where the gun parts were laid out in a neat fashion. He picked one up at random and examined it. Slowly turning it in his hands, his back to her.

"You have heard of great fall haven't you? Or have they given up on educating kids like these days?"

"That was over one hundred and sixty years ago."

"Well at least you can count." He turned his head to the side a little so she could she his smirk.

"Your full of shit, No human could live that long." The smirk broadened.

"I never claimed to be human."

"Then what...what are you?" Her voice became soft, like that of a child instilled with fear.

"What do you think I am?"

_"You know, I'm a little offended you ever though I was human." _She heard faintly in her head.

"You're...You're...a." Her words began to waver and shake.

_"A what?" _

_"A plant!" _He caught her stray thought and could hear the word "plant" clearly in his mind milliseconds before her wavering voice spoke it aloud_."_ She began to cry a little. Her arms giving out, she collapsed forward and landed hard on the floor.

_"What's the point of using words when this is so much easier?" _He looked at her, collapsed on the ground, blood flowing from a spilt lip, and a cut on her forehead. Eyes clenched shut, as if she was trying to imagine some other world where this wasn't happening. She looked pathetic. He walked to her and gently shook her shoulder.

"Com'on. Its time you started your sit ups." She instantly recoiled to his touch. She pushed herself away from him and screamed. Loudly.

"Don't touch me you freak! Keep away!" She shouted, then broke into a run, up the stairs and out of sight. He looked after her for a moment, Before squatting on the floor and beginning to do press up's himself.

They walked the rest of the way to the town in almost complete silence. It was nearing dark when they arrived and a cool chill had entered the air. One sun had already set, and another was very close to setting. The town's night life had just begun to emerge from their houses and in some cases holes.

Vash led the way down the main street. If he was truthful he didn't really know why he'd come here. He was just hoping she'd come to the town, Rather than wander off into the desert. He led the way down the main street towards the centre of town, where most of the saloons' were. As they walked Vash slowed his step so the gap between him and Knives closed as the crowds began to thicken. They followed the crowds until they reached the centre of town, As Brightridge was a small town there were only a few saloons compared to larger towns. They headed to the closest. The largest of the four, a place called the Dancing Swan, Vash entered pushing aside the screen doors, while Knives budged them side with his shoulders as he passed. The room was dim and smoky, almost every table was filled to the brim with people, and many crowded around a low lit pool table in the corner.

A few people looked up at newcomers and a few waved to Vash.

"Hi Alex, don't see you in here often." A tall bald man shouted from the bar.

"Hey Sam." Vash called back.

_"Alex?." _

_"What?" _There was a crash from the back of the bar as he replied to Knives. Both of their heads snapped towards it, they saw a Eliana standing over an uprooted table.

"Ellie." Vash called to her quickly walking across the room to the girl.

"Wh't ar' ou doing here." She slurred, alcohol heavy on her breath.

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Erm, 'ets se, un, ooh, fee, 'our. I lost count after that." She giggled uncontrollably.

"Come on we're taking you home."

"Aww, but I wanna stay." Knives, who had been silent for the whole conversation groaned.

"He said, we are taking you home." He reached out to grab her forearm, she pulled away instinctively.

"Don't touch me you freak!" she screamed loudly. The whole bar turned to look at them. Knives frowned and reached for her again. This time catching her arm. She let out a high pitched scream. The bald man who had greeted Vash when he entered stood up and walked to Knives. Placing a hand roughly on his shoulder and pulled him away from Eliana.

"Hey, Bub, you better back off." Knives shook the hand off his shoulder and turned to face the man, as he did so his right hand flew out and caught the man hard the across the jaw. He staggered backwards, having to learn against the bar to keep standing up.

"Cant you see she's my daughter you idiot! look at her!" Knives growled. The bar room shushed at that point. And all returned to what they were doing before. Meanwhile Eliana had sunk the ground crying.

"Come on kiddo, lets get you home yeah." Vash said softly bending down to pick her up. He scooped her up and him headed for the door.

_"Knives." _He nodded and followed Vash out of the door. As they left the chatter of the bar returned to normal and the somber mood followed Vash and Knives.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: **

"How much longer is she planning to stay up there?" Vash asked staring at the staircase.

"I'm not surprised she hasn't come out yet." Knives answered, walking past Vash from the lounge into the kitchen.

"It was rhetorical question." He followed Knives with a glare, three days later he was still annoyed at his brother. "And I still think this is your fault."

"And I fail to see how you lay the blame entirely on me, after all she asked me. And you never told me to lie to her."

"Oh piss off."

"I warned you this was going to end in someone getting hurt."

"It's not like you actually want her around."

"I don't know, she can be fun to annoy sometimes."

"That's typical of you." Knives responded with a grunt and poured himself a glass of water. "You should talk to her Y'know."

"Huh?"

"She might actually listen to you."

"Huh? she hates me."

"No, she hates me, you she might still be able to stand."

"Just great." Vash threw his hands up in the air. There was a moment of silence before Knives spoke again.

"You were right you know, she can hear us."

"She what!"

"She can hear us."

"Knives... Please don't tell me." He took a sip of water and looked at Vash over the rim of the glass. Who returned the look for a few seconds.

"Shit, didn't you think what that would do to her?"

"Didn't it occur to you that it would hurt her to perpetuate a lie just to make her being here easier for you?"

"What the hell does that mean!" He placed specific emphasis on the 'hell'

"I think you know." He paused." You lied to her, because you were afraid of having to deal with the truth."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You don't really need to ask me that, do you?"

"Apparently I do knives. I wanna know what the fuck you meant by that!"

"You knew she wasn't your daughter. You knew that she wasn't even entirely HUMAN. Hell for all you know she isn't even really Meryl's daughter. But you choose to keep that from her. If you'd told her from the beginning we wouldn't be standing here right now having this conversation. Hell, maybe she would have just killed herself then and saved us from having to put up with her smart ass attitude for the past two months." Vash fell back, dropping like he had been shot to land roughly in a chair by the table. His eyes wide, mouth open a little.

"God... How can you say that?"

"Oh god, What if she heard you."

"Then maybe, she'll think it was a good idea and take the advice." Vash looked at him in a state of horror for a moment.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." He spoke with resolution and quickly left the kitchen and headed upstairs.

"Ellie, can I come in."

"No."

"It's kind of hard to have convocation through a door."

"Who said I wanted to talk."

"Ellie, Please."

"Fuck off!"

"We're just worried about you Ellie, you've been holed up in here for days."

"Yeah, I'm sure that bastard really cares what happens to me."

"Ellie... he's ... not what you think."

"Spare me the bullshit. You can go down and tell your little brother that I'm perfectly fine."

"Why don't you come down yourself and show him. I've made dinner, you've gotta be hungry."

"Not really."

"Ellie please, eat something? For me? I made your favorite."

"Fine, it'll come eat something if it'll get you to go away." came the exasperated reply. He heard her get up through the door a rustle of clothing and then footsteps. When she opened he swallowed the breath he was exhaling, She looked like hell, white as a sheet, hair messed and tangled, and blood shot eyes, she hadn't made an attempt to disguise the fact she'd barley slept in three days or and the fact that the smell of alcohol still lingered on her, despite having changed clothes, show she hadn't washed either. But he didn't mention it, one wrong move and she would be back in that most likely. She followed him slowly down the stairs dragging her heels as she walked. She stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. Seeing Knives sitting at the table she froze.

"Its okay, come on. It's your favorite." She nodded and plopped down in a seat opposite him, shifting back a bit as she got comfortable. Knives sat leaning back, relaxed. As Vash placed a warm plate, with an omelet on it in front of each of them, then sat down next to Knives.

"Looks tasty huh?" Knives shrugged a little.

"It's hardly a fine cut of steak, marinated in wine, cooked till its just rare is it?" Vash looked at him slightly downcast.

"I do my best with what I have." Eliana looked down while the two bothers continued their banter over food, and gently poked the omelet with her fork a few times, then picking up her knife, cut a piece and slowly ate it, chewing and swallowing quickly. She then began to eat quicker eating after the meal before Vash and Knives had barley started.

"Well someone enjoys my cooking." There was a grunt from Knives.

"The girl hasn't eaten for two days, I imagine she'd eat anything you put in front of her."

"Oh shut up." Again another grunt. And a whispered, under the breath, you know I'm right. She paused for a second. Had he spoke in her mind, or Vash's again. Or was she just not paying attention when he said that. Her mind raced for a moment. Vash looked up at her a moment.

"You okay Ellie." She nodded, half heartedly. It was all she could manage. She took a sip from a glass of water that had been placed in front of her at some point. She wasn't sure when. Then continued eating, slower now. The convocation was rather dry for the remainder of the meal, with Vash attempting to start it and it either petered out, or was shot down by Knives. They eat in silence for a few minutes before Knives put down his knife and fork and stood up.

"I'm going to work on the old car."

"Don't you want desert?"

"Put some in fridge the for me."

"Okay fine."

"Thanks." Knives put his knife and fork down, and left the table, heading out the front door.

"So Ellie do you want some desert." He looked at Eliana with a look that could be classed as puppy dog eyed. She nodded, although there wasn't much effort.

"Okay finish up and I'll get you some." She finished the rest of her omelet in a few minutes and then drunk some more of her water. While Vash got up and took two steaming bowls from inside the still warm oven. He placed one in front of her and another on in front of his seat. She looked down at the bowl and saw a mess of apple pulp and pastry.

"Sorry it's kind of deformed, it's supposed to be apple pie." He smiled hopelessly

"That's okay." she muttered, putting a spoonful into her mouth and swallowing. It tasted dry and crumbly, and took most of the moisture from her mouth. Yet she took another spoonful, this time there was some as well as pastry, this made it taste a little better. She ate slowly taking sips of water in between mouthfuls.

"Do you like it?" He asked partway through. She could only manage a nod. When she finished she put down her spoon and pushed the bowl away from her a little. Standing up she left the kitchen and walked upstairs. As she left Vash sighed to himself.

"Well at least she ate something."

"Vash." He heard Knives call from the doorway. He turned to see his brother, one hand gripping the other tightly, blood soaked a thin strip of cloth that was tightly bound around it.

"Would you take over on the car while I go clean up this, she's leaking oil and radiator fluid over the floor." Vash winced a little at the wound, but nodded.

"Sure, I'll go patch her up for you, how'd you do that?"

"A bolt head sheered of while I was loosening it with a wrench, made my hand slip and get caught on that broken crank shaft.

"Ouch." Knives nodded and entered the house as Vash left. He went into the back hall and up the stairs. He winced as he bit down on the edge of the old rag, grabbed the other end and pulled the makeshift bandage tighter. The blood flow slowed a little but didn't stop although as the white cloth began to turn a deeper shade of red. As he approached the bathroom door he could hear someone moving on the other side. He hesitated, considered knocking when he heard a cough, the muffled sound of someone retching. He pushed the door open, and saw Eliana sitting on the floor, one hand clutching the rim of the toilet, head hanging over the edge. The smell of vomit hit him as he opened the door, it was a smell he was all too familiar with. She didn't look up as he entered and crossed the skin nearby. He turned on the water and unwound the improvised bandage. He flinched a little as the water came out colder than expected and gushed into the wound.

Behind him she wretched again, he heard the vomit splash into the toilet water and the girl cough for lack of breath. He turned off the water and inspected the gash in his hand, it was clean, roughly two inches long, and around a quarter deep. Stitches he decided were the best prognosis. Taking a fresh strip of bandage from the cupboard, and an antiseptic pad. Placing the pad over the wound, he began wrapping the bandage around it tightly several times. Once he was done he pulled it tight and tied the knot in the bandage to keep it secure. Taking a seat on the edge of the bath he looked down at her.

"Why did you throw up?"

"I didn't want to." She moaned. Unsure if there was anything else coming or not. "I just couldn't keep it down."

"You didn't make yourself do it."

"No." She snapped trying to whirl on him, and immediately regretting it, her world spun, she felt dizzy and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she was sitting on the toilet seat, she could feel that Knives had two fingers to her forehead and that he quickly removed them once she opened her eyes.

"You don't have a fever." He said taking his seat on the edge of the bath again. "So unless it was my brothers cooking, which hasn't killed me yet, you're most likely suffering from somatization." She looked at him, eyebrows raised, looking rather bemused.

"You're anxious. Your body can react to this in a number of ways, in your case the fact that your stomach is upset."

"And that means?" She exasperated.

"That you're vomiting was purely psychological, you were so worried and reeling from the shock you received that your body didn't know what to do, and so basically it rejected the food you had just eaten."

"So, is this Somatranization."

"Somatization." He corrected. She looked at him for a moment then turned pale, well a slightly paler shade than she already was.

"I'm gonna throw up again." She moaned and shifted so she fell to the floor, lifting the lid she threw up again. Knives looked down at her.

"Its true that things aren't what you first thought they were, but this is what they are, worrying is only going to make to feel worse, or at best not any better than you feel now. If you stop worrying the sick feeling will go away."

"It will?"

"Yes, you need to accept things and move on, make a step forward and you'll feel better for it in the long run."

"Yeah, maybe." She shifted up onto toilet seat again, putting the lid down to cover the smell of the vomit. And wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.

"You ready to leave?" She shook her head a little.

"Not yet."

"That's okay." There was a small moment of silence as she looked around the room, and tired not to think about what had happened in the past couple of months. Before she settled on Knives hand. The blood had seeped through the layers of bandage and a small red spot had appeared over where the wound was.

"What happened to your hand?" He looked at it for a moment as if he was wondering himself.

"A bolt sheered while I was fixing the old car, my hand got cut up on the broken crank shaft."

"Ah right, did it hurt."

"Not much, its nothing compared to being shot."

"Yeah..."

"You ready now." She nodded.

"I think so."

"Good. I've got to go stitch this cut up, Will you be okay."

"Sure." She flushed the toilet as Knives got up.

"Erm, could we not motion this to Vash, he's worried about me enough as it is." Knives frowned for a second, but nodded.

"Yeah, I won't tell him"

"Thanks." He left the room, and she could here is footsteps echo down the hall. Making sure all the vomit had been flushed away she left the room as well, shutting the door behind her, she went to her own room, slumping on the bed as she got in the door. For the first time in several days she didn't curl up and cry. She sat up after a while the door opened and Knives came in.

"Here I thought you might enjoy this." He handed her a old leather bound book, Emboldened onto the cover were the words '...'. She took and turned the book over in her hands.

"Look's old."

"It is, be careful with it."

"I will, and thanks." She smiled.

"That's alright. Oh, Vash say's goodnight."

"Okay, g'night Knives." He left closing the door behind him as she laid back and began to read.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: **

Hey everyone, hope your liking it so far, y'all have it a little more than i expected, anyways give me some reviews even you dont like, i wanna know what you guys think, please?

okay pre-warning this next part might often some people as it deals with some rather nasty stuff, and has some sorta corse lanague too. but anways just a pre warning to everyone

enjoy

Adeila

**  
Chapter 12**:

Eliana sighed as she sat next to Vash as he drove, her right arm resting to the car door while the left laid across her leg, fingers tapping a rhythm in time to the engine noise. Vash sat stoically opposite her, His glasses hiding any from of expression on an otherwise blank face. She sighed a little and flex her arm, immediately feeling the still store, new muscle, built by the months of training, tense and cause a dull ache to run up the arm. She looked across at Vash who looked straight ahead.

"I can't believe it's been almost six months, the time's just flown past." She remarked. The incident with Knives had been put to rest two weeks after it had happened, and all three of them had seemed to resolve the matter to the past, she for the most part had spent her time reading and doing exercise in her bedroom, avoiding both Vash and Knives, however after that had things had begun to return to normal, with her training with Knives again. And adjusted her own pair of sunglasses, these had a more traditional design to Vash's.

"Yeah."

"So how come you wanted to go see my Mom."

"Well actually that's just a lil' side trip, its Bernadelli I need to go see actually."

"Whys that?"

"Make sure I'm still dead." He smirked a little.

"Oh." The conversation drifted into silence for a long while, the vast expanse of desert offering much in the way of convocation relating to their surroundings. and the fact that they both lived way out in the boonies and there was no formal news network so to speak, meant that news was pretty much off the cards for discussion too. It was a good few hours before either spoke up, around the time the adult sun reached midday point. Vash informed Eliana that there was a town pretty close by where they'd be stopping for water and lunch. About twenty minutes they came to the town which was a fair size, but no ware near big enough to be classed as a city.

Vash pulled the car to a stop on what appeared to be the main street of the town and both he and Eliana got out. She took off her glasses and looked around. The town was nothing out of the ordinary, it looked like your average town high street, a barber shop, several saloons and the odd convenience store, as well as a cafe at the far end of the street. Vash walked around the car, he nodded toward the building with a sign reading 'restaurant eat here' hanging down from a pole above the door.

"Eat there?"

"Sure. Why not?" Vash led the way down the street, they stepped in and out of the people walking down in. It appeared to be relatively busy for the time of day. As most people were avoiding the midday sun. As they entered the crowed restaurant a few heads rose to see the newcomers. Vash sat down a chair his back facing the bar and the rest of the room, while Eliana took a seat on a bench was attached the far wall. From her position she could see most of the room, there were a series of tables, set out in several rows of four, there was small stage at the far end of the room, on it an attractive young girl, who looked barley into her teens was singing, to a gramophone record. Next to the stage was a door marked Kitchen and then an unmarked door. To the left of these was a small bar. A bored looking middle aged man stood at the bar, leaning on his palm. He wasn't getting much custom and it was pretty obvious that most of the customers, who were for the most part male, had come to see the girl. As most of them were watching her like hawks.

"What do you want?" Vash asked. Interrupting her train of thought.

"Err, what are you having?"

"Probably Chicken Dijon, it looks the like one of the few edible things on the menu." He flicked through quickly glancing down the pages.

"Yeah, do they have anything not so meaty?" She gave a nervous smile.

"Lets see, beef and vegetable stew?"

"That'll do."

"Waitress!" He called out to the young girl, who was cleaning up table, this place, not being to up market had no uniform of sorts, so she just wore jeans, a black flannel shirt and an apron. She put down the plates and walking to their table took a small note pad from the pocket on her apron.

"Yes sir?"

"I'll have the Chicken Dijon, and she'll have the Beef and Vegetable stew."

"Very good sir, anything to drink?"

"Yes, I'll take a beer, Ellie?"

"A glass of water, thank you."

"Is that all? Any dessert."

"Yes, that's all thanks."

"It should be ready soon." She left and headed for the kitchen. Pushing the door open she shouted something into it and then returned to collecting plates. On the stage the girl paused as the song ended. She looked over the audience and smiled as some of them threw change into a beret placed upside on the front of the stage, she stopped and looked at Eliana and Vash and smiled brightly. Eliana smiled back weekly. Then shifted around in her seat, the worn leather creaking a little.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"What's up?"

"Just thinking about Mom a little."

"Really, what about her?"

"I'm trying to think of a time when we together that we both enjoyed ourselves."

"Ah, that's nice."

"Not really, I can't think of one."

"Oh." They stayed quite for at least ten minutes after that, till the waitress brought their food out. They began eating in silence. Till about half way through eating her meal she spoke up.

"It's not just me Y'know. She doesn't like me either." Vash looked up at her from across the table, his eyes still hidden behind his glasses. He raised an eyebrow

"Well, there was this one time, when I was five or something, she took me to a lunch meeting with her friend Karen, and she and this Karen sat down and Mom didn't even get a chair for me. So I just sat on the floor. While they eat, that's all I did, she didn't even acknowledge me at all! So anyway when Karen gets up, She looks down to pick up her bag, and gives a little shriek and says. 'Mer, some little urchin is stealing from you bag.' Cuz I was playing it. And Mom looks down and says 'Oh that's just my daughter Ellie." Vash paused eating for a minute, swallowed his mouthful and looked at her.

"I'm sure your mother loved you."

"She sure has a funny way of showing it." Again silence fell and they resumed eating, the girls signing echoing in the background as they eat, it was an old song, the record crackled as it played in the background and then faded out. The girl behind the microphone meekly said 'thank you' and then left the stage, sat down at the bar. The wide grin that had been on her face while she had been singing had gone and she looked thoroughly dejected from then on. It was maybe five minutes later that a man from a nearby table got up and walked to the bar, he leaned on the bar and with a smirk spoke to the bar man and handed him a wad of bills and pointed to the girl the barman nodded and returned the smirk. He approached the girl and spoke to her, rather loudly, but his words were drowned into the background by the chatter in the bar. However the jist of what had been saying became painfully clear when he pointed to the man and money he still held in his hand. The girl got up and walked to the man. He smiled and caressed her cheek. The grabbing her roughly he led the girl out of the bar at a fast pace.

"That sick... Bastard. That's not right! I'm gonna go after them, pay double what he's paying, she wont have to do anything then!" Eliana blurted out, making half the bar look at her.

"It won't matter, he'll be back tomorrow and with your money too." Vash looked down rather dejectedly at what was left of his meal. She stood up, gripping the edge of the table with both hands she looked down at him.

"Fine! if you not gonna help, then well... Fuck you!" She stormed out, pushing the swing doors so far open they hit the wall or the return swing. Vash groaned and got tossed a twenty double dollar bill on the table and followed her.

Outside Eliana raced after the man her hand instinctively went to her belt and the derringer there, she slid it out and spun it into a firing position. She lost sight of them as they rounded a corner heading into the back alleys.

_'Okay Ellie girl, just remember what Knives taught you." _She thought to herself. Before heading into the alleys she stepped close to wall, and ran along it derringer aimed low at the ground, ready to throw up at fire at a moments notice. She rounded the corner and threw her gun up, however the alley was vacant but from the end of the alley the sounds of a struggle could be heard. She followed the same procedure keeping close the wall, gun low. As she neared the corner she heard the girl whimper

"Please, don't." There was the sound of skin hitting skin. Hard. Followed by a sharp cry.

"Shut up, I went an' paid for you, I'm gonna get my moneys worth." That was all she needed to hear. She stepped around the corner gun raised.

"Freeze! Tough her again and I'll blow your head of." The man slowly raised both hands in the air and she looked down quickly at the girl who was laying slumped against the wall, holding her face from being slapped, a trickle of blood running from the corner of her lip. Her dress had been ripped a little around the shoulders, and one side hung down loose making the whole dress lopsided, her jacket discarded on the floor. Both had a look of shock on their face. The girl at someone helping her and the man that this girl was pointing a gun at him. Eliana looked the man over and saw the telltale bulge of a gun in his pocket.

"Okay, this is how its gonna work, your gonna slowly take that gun out of your pocket" She indicated which one by a nod of her head. "Then drop it on the floor, and slowly walk away and forget you ever saw either of us." She demanded.

"Fine." The man growled, he reached down and grasped the gun, as he drew it out there was a quick smile and then two shots sounded in rapid succession. Eliana stared at the smoking barrel of his gun in an almost euphoric trance for a few seconds before the pain ripped through her like a tidal wave and she fell to the ground. As she feel she called out 'Help me' in a desperate cry of pain. The man laughed as he walked over to her, as she clutched her right shoulder. She could feel the slick, wet feeling of blood pouring from the wound under her hand. Her gun lay in her right hand, but no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't move, the arm just lay limp. The man smirked.

"I paid for her, Ya' think I'd have a problem killin' ya'." She gritted her teeth. Unable to cry out again. He moved to aim the gun at her head when a pair of slender hands wrapped around his arm, pulling it back.

"Please, stop! She doesn't need to die." The girl begged. "Please! I'll do anything, just don't kill her."

"Anything?"

"Yes Anything! Just please don't kill her." The girl cried out, the man turned back to Eliana and saw a tall man blonde haired man, with black streaks in his hair, wearing sunglasses and holding a large sliver gun, and wearing a rather dark look on his face.

"You shouldn't have shot her."

"Why?" Vash answered with a gunshot, the man let out a loud cry as his knee caved as the bullet passed through his knee cap, he fell to the floor, blood pouring from the wound as Vash ran past and brought the butt of his gun down on the mans head knocking him unconscious. He squatted down by Eliana and looked her over, the blood had now poured out and was staining the sand.

"Shit." He whispered. The girl looked down at them both.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Vash didn't answer, lifting her up a little, he propped Eliana against his knee, he reached into his pocked and pulled out his wallet, taking several one hundred double dollar bills out he passed them to the girl.

"Take this, get on a bus to December go to the Wolfwood orphanage in the town close by and see Millie Thompson, tell her Alex sent you."

"But...But"

"Hurry go! Before some else comes." She nodded and ran as fast as she could away from the scene, while he scooped Ellie up into his arms. She whimpered in pain as he caught her shoulder. She was a mess her eyes were shut tight, her lip bleeding from a cut where she'd been biting it. and blood covering most of her upper right side.

"It hurts."

He stroked her hair with his free hand, it came away wet and covered in blood

"Oh shit, not good." He muttered again, then more loudly" I know, honey, I know. We're gonna get you to a doctor okay." She didn't answer.

"Fuck! Ellie, c'mon say awake!" He shouted breaking into a run out of the alley and towards the town square. And where he hoped there was a doctor's surgery.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Knives slumped into the chair by Eliana's bed and closed his eyes. She lay sleeping off the sedative the doctor had given her a brace over her right arm, made up of a band that was fastened around her chest, it had a strap that held the arm in place across her chest and one that went over her shoulder holding it up, her hair trimmed back to the shoulder, due the fact it had been coated in blood. It looked awful at the moment, having been cut off with a pair of surgical scissors by the doctor as he removed the bullets and had screwed the bone together. It had been close according to Vash. A few inches to the right and she'd be missing and arm. Vash however was not best pleased with Knives at this point.

On their return to the house roughly two days after her being shot, After putting he sedated Ellie to bed, Vash had confronted Knives about his training her, and the fact that it had been kept from him, this had preceded a large argument which ended in Vash saying 'Just stay away till I know what I should do about you teaching her, because there has to be a reason why you were doing it behind my back'. However less than five hours later he asked Knives to watch her, in case she woke and needed something like food or water. He sighed and picked up the book on her nightstand, given to her four odd months ago. He opened it to the page to the one the small tassel like bookmark was on and began to read.

:Note: think up something to go here:

He looked up when he heard the covers shift. She was beginning to turn in her sleep. Reaching over he rested his right hand firmly on her left shoulder, stopping her from turning over. As he moved his hand away, she began to mumble in her sleep.

"Momma, where are you Momma. Please don't let me get hurt again Momma." He looked down at her and rested the book back on the table and flicked off the light. He thought she might be waking soon. The fact that she was talking in her sleep meant the sedative was wearing off. Outside the wind began to howl as it neared midnight and a sand storm was beginning to take form. He was proved right about the sedative few minutes later when a piercing scream emerged from her lips followed by.

"Momma!." She sat bold upright, Eyes wide open. Then cast a frightened glance around the room. Then learned forward a little and began to cry.

"I want my mom." Knives looked at the weeping girl uncertain for a minute then looked towards the door he started to get up.

"I'll go get Vash."

"No, Please... I don't... I don't wanna be alone." He shifted the chair closer to the bed, almost so it was touching, so they could see each other clearly in the dark and sat down.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"That man, the guy who shot me, It was like I was little and running to Mom for help." She answered dejected.

"I see." There was silence for a moment. And both of them heard the wind batter the windows as it swirled around outside. He shift the chair back and leaned back, propping his foot against the frame of the bed for support.

"How's the book?"

"Its okay, Kind of confusing in places. So I had to read re-read bits." He nodded.

"Its quite confusing on the first read. Till you take into account the double morality of the characters all." She looked at him puzzled.

"Its hard to explain, just don't take everything Jude says a true, that's a common mistake when reading books or stories written in the first person, people tend to believe everything the character says." She still looked puzzled.

"You'll get it eventually, believe me."

"Yeah I guess."

"What did they do?"

"Huh?"

"Your shoulder what did they do it?"

"The doctors told me they took out a bullet from the bone and one from just above it. The one that hit the bone broke it. They had to put five screws in." He nodded.

"That will take a while to heal, and longer to get back full motion. Bullet wounds like that are complicated. Its much easier if they just go straight in and out again."

"Yeah." Again a there was a moment of silence where they could here the wind. Knives got up from his chair and walked the doors that led out the balcony However despite them being shut small piles of sand had form around the cracks at the bottom of the door. He pulled the two window shutters across and put the clip that held them together down. Then turned on the small table lamp nearby, a shallow light filled the room, making tall and twisted shadows.

"Its going to be a long night."

"Yeah. That storm sounds fierce." She tried to shift to get up but she was still woozy from the sedative, she tipped a little, but grabbed the headboard to keep herself from falling over. She carefully tried to shift back to her original position, but found it hard to lay down, and adjust the covers too.

"Knives?" He walked back and sat down.

"Yeah?"

"Could you, Y'know help me?." He nodded and gently placed one hand on her back and pushed her down slowly. His hand brushing her roughly cut hair as he moved it away. He then picked up the cover and handed it too her.

"God, I'm helpless."

"You'll get better." He heard begin to cry again.

"I was stupid to even try to learn to be like you and Vash. I'm useless, like she said I was. I just wanna lie here, and do nothing. I cant be a pain if I do that." He sat there looking at her.

"What! You said I'm a freak, My Mom's effectively dead, my friends probably don't want to see me, I'm alone. I've got nobody. Nothing to live for." She wept.

"Sometimes it feels that way, like the whole world is this miserable awful place that isn't worth being in. And maybe it is. Sometimes it's hard to see the good things. But we keep going anyway, and there has to be something out there worth going on for." She rolled onto a left her side and brought her legs up to her chest, as the lights flickered and disappeared. Knives looked around and got up.

"Shit, the powers out." He looked down at her, shriving a little even under the thick cover.

"I'll be back in a minute okay."

"Sure." She stuttered. He left the room and headed down the corridor and took a right, it was dark, as the storm outside clouded any light the moons would cast down, but he didn't need it. He automatically knew where everything was, he reached out and grabbed the doorknob on the door to his room. Entering the room he went to desk draw and opened it, taking out a box matches placed there for an occasion such as this, he struck one and the room filled with a dim light. He reached over and picked up a candle, set on a small metal dish with a small handle on the side so it could be picked up. He headed back down the and into her room. The dull light illuminating barley half of it and casting even more strange and twisted shadows than the eclectic one had done. He put the candle down on the beside cabinet and sat down in his chair again.

"What happens now?" He didn't answer for a moment.

"We wait till it storm dies down enough for me and Vash to go out and start the generator."

"How long will that be." She stuttered shriving at little. He got up and walked across the room, he took a couple of steps into the darkness at the edge of the candle light and then, to her, seemed to mingle with the shadows as he walked to the back of the room and knelt down. There was a click, a prolonged squeak and rustle of material, followed by a dull thud. He emerged from shadows that seemed to be closing in on her carrying a large checked blanket, He sat down and laid it gently over her.

"Is that better?"

"Yeah, a lot."

"Good, Your going to be susceptible to disease while that wound is open, so you best be careful."

"Okay." She shifted onto her back again, finding it the easiest position to lay in. While he resumed leaning back, foot resting on the bed frame for support.

"Will they stop, the nightmare's and flashbacks."

"Yes after a while, its perfectly normal. For years I got shot I did. I could see his face every time I closed my eyes to sleep."

"Who shot you?"

"Actually it was Vash."

"Vash? you're kidding."

"Nope. Let's just say there was a period of time when we were...estranged." She paused for a moment, and looked over as the wind rattled the windows and shutters.

"Guess you wont be going to the generator any time soon huh?"

"Doesn't look like it." He looked over his shoulder towards the shutters too. "it'll die down soon enough, maybe another three hours or so. You should try sleeping again. You need all you can get at the moment."

"I still can't believe Vash shot you. Wow."

"Well, I was pointing two guns at him at the time, that probably had something to do with it." She smiled a little

"I'm serious."

"I know, just the way you said it was funny." He smiled a little.

"Do you want anything?"

"Some water would be nice. If your offering?"

"I'll be back soon." He left the room and she heard his footsteps fade away as he went down the stairs. She laid her head back onto the soft pillows and closed her eyes as the wind roared outside. After a few minutes she drifted off into sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14:**

Knives grunted as he shoved the spade into ground and hefted a small mound of sand up, into a wheel barrow and repeated the action. The storm had died down the night before and he was clearing up the mess that was left in the garden, thankfully him and Vash and managed to get a tarpaulin over most of the plants, however sand had still gotten to some and the door to generator, which was underground, was still partially buried in at least two feet of sand, Vash was still sleeping off his two days off being awake, despite Knives instance he go with him. It was still early and the child sun had barely left the horizon. He looked behind him as he heard the creak of the back door. Eliana walked out, still wearing her pajamas and slippers, and a dressing gown her left arm in the sleeve and the gown just resting over the right shoulder.

"Mornin'." She yawned. Sitting down at the small table next to the back door. And looking at him through the fence.

"You shouldn't be out of bed."

"But it's boring as hell."

"Your shoulder won't heal if you aggravate it."

"How can I fucking aggravate it, I can't even fucking move it!"

"Even if you jog it, it can still do damage."

"Well, sitting around doing nothin' can't hurt it can it?"

"Probably not." He grunted again as he shoved the spade in deep and threw the contents over his shoulder. He thrust the spade in and there was a resounding thud as he hit metal. He looked down and shifted the thin layer of sand away with his foot to see the edge thick metal door. He thrust the spade into the sand next to it and leaned on the handle.

"Vash wants you to get better. He feels guilty about what happened."

"He does? How come? It wasn't his fault"

"He'd feel guilty if a person got murdered three towns over." She smiled a little.

"He's really that bad?" Knives nodded and resumed digging. She leaned back a little in her chair sighed. As the door opened and Vash walked out, his hair flopping down over his eyes and his clothes looking rather scruffy and worn, they were heavily creased and hanging loose.

"Morning'" He groaned, stretching his arms and back.

"You look like hell." Eliana pointed out, stifling a giggle.

"I've seen him look worse."

"I bet."

Vash rubbed his eyes and brushed some of hair out of the way of his them. He yawned again and looked at Knives.

"Hey Knives want me to take over? You look like could use a break." He looked at Vash and nodded. Shoving the spade roughly into the ground.

"I'll see you at dinner." Vash nodded.

"Sleep well." He crossed the garden to the fence and putting his foot on the bottom slat vaulted over the fence, he picked up the spade and resumed Knives job of digging.

"We should talk."

"About what?"

"About what me and Knives are."

"Ah."

"Well I take it you know he... we aren't human."

"Yeah, kind of figured that when he starting talking in my head." Vash smiled a little then returned to his previously somber look. His voice turning rather melancholy.

"Honestly, I don't really understand the details myself. We were on a ship, when they were still flying I mean, before the great fall. One of the plants malfunctioned, and when they went to check it out they found us lying at the bottom of it. Rem, she was um…one of the women on the ship, she stopped them from killing us and took care of us."

"She sounds nice."

"Yeah, she was. She died a long time ago." He paused for a moment. "Knives killed her." His voiced seemed to take on an ever sadder tone that before. Her eyes widened a little. Knives had said he before hadn't he, when he'd been talking about first killing someone.

_"If that wasn't the first time, how many other people has he killed?"_ She thought to herself.

"Did he?" Slipped out, as she looked at Vash, her eyes glazing over a little as her attention drifted away.

"Yeah, it's a long, old, story." There was a dull thud and the door swung open, Knives walked out and leaned against one of the post holding up the porch. He closed his eyes, making him looks almost asleep. He turned to look at Eliana.

"Talking about me again." Vash shrugged and resumed digging. "Besides I didn't exactly kill her per se anyway." Vash sighed heavily and thrust the shovel into the ground.

"I thought you were going to bed?" There was an awkward moment of silence, where Eliana looked between the two, although neither was making eye contact with the other, there was a level on tension. It was tangible you could almost taste it, see it, let alone feel it.

"Why'd you come back out?" Vash asked, resuming his work.

"To tell you not to try and fix the power without me, and besides I didn't wanna miss the convocation." His lip turned up into a smirk. Just before he caught a whisper of her voice.

He quickly looked at Eliana, Her eyes were scrunched up tight, then at Vash. He didn't look he heard it he wasn't even looking up, Knives looked at her again and gently tapped her chair with his foot. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, a pleading, no begging, look in her eyes.

"You look really tired." He nodded.

"We'll talk later, there's things we need to discuss." He pushed off the post and walked away, heading back into the house. Vash looked at her from the shoveling.

"That was awkward."

"Yeah." He sighed and looked at her.

"He's right Y'know, there are things we need to talk about." She nodded. "He's gotten this idea into his head that maybe I should be more upfront with you... And I guess he's right." She nodded again. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again. His voice choking a little.

"I always thought if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't have to deal with it, but I see that's not the case. It never was." Again a nod, but she still remained silent. "You're a part of this whether or not you are aware of it, although from knives has told me about the time he talked to you I think you are. I guess I sort of knew from when you heard us talking that first night, but at least you didn't realize there was anything odd about it."

"How is it possible, what is it, Why can I hear it?"

"I'm not sure. When we were younger, very little, it seemed the most natural thing in the world, we took it for granted other people could do it too. We just constantly communicated that way, so it never seemed unnatural. However when we got a little older and found out Rem couldn't hear us, and she figured out what we were doing that we realized it was something strange." He laughed a little.

"Y'know for the longest time, I thought it was because we were twins. I'd read stories in the paper and stuff about how twins' supposedly could communicate like we do. It was only till I met someone else who could do it too that I was proved wrong."

"Yeah but I..." She trailed off." How else are you different?"

"We aren't all that different really."

"That a load of crap! You're over one hundred and sixty years old and you don't look a day over thirty. That's if Knives wasn't lying."

"Well its not that, that matters everyone has the same feelings, the same heart. That's what matters."

"Bullshit! I've been made to feel like a freak for nearly nineteen fucking years! And you say that's all that matters! No one, No one! Has ever given a damn about me, I've always been made to feel the outcast, the freak!" Vash looked taken aback as she pushed herself up off the rocking chair rather ungracefully and unsteadily got up and walked towards the back door, she kicked it open and strode inside. As she did she spotted Knives sitting on the floor, back to the wall one leg drawn back and the knee raised a little into the air.

"I thought you were sleeping?"

"He makes it looks so easy, but trust me, he's hurting just as much as you are." She looked down at him and went towards the stairs. He pushed up off the wall and followed her, catching up as she got the stairs. He took a hold of her left arm and looped it over his shoulder and began walking up the stairs with her, using him for support. She muttered under her breath, but conceded anyway. He helped her till the top of the stairs, and then leg go. She shrugged him off and went to her room. He followed her entering as she lowered herself down on the bed and picked up a large pillow with a white pillow case and hugged it too her chest, burying her face in it.

"I hate them, I HATE! Them all." He sat down in the armchair by the window, his back to it. Sun poking through the cracks in the curtains. He leant back a little into the chair and crossed his arms.

"No you don't."

"Yeah! My own mother doesn't accept me, let alone anyone else." She took a long deep breath and then let it out slowly. "When I was little, maybe four or five, there was this one time when I knocked a vase of flowers over and the water spilled all over a report Mom and had been working on. I was really sorry and everything, but she just grabbed me by the wrist and screamed at me 'Get out of my sight! I don't even wanna see your face! Then she dragged be to my room, threw my in a locked the door. She left me in there for hours, all the while I was crying and every so often I would call out through the door begging her to let me out. But she never did. She left me in there for hours and hours. It was dark when she let me out." Knives looked over at her from his seat.

"I understand more than you can ever know." He stood up and walked to her, reaching down and took hold of her chin and raised it up so she was looking at him. "I'm not going to vouch for them Eliana, there are people in this world who do horrible things, I'm not going to excuse what they do." He let go of her chin and brought his arm to his side.

"Its easy to hate them for what they've done, and its hard to look to beyond those things and see good in any place. Somehow Vash manages to do, I've never understood how, but he's made it this far. The hate will consume, believe me I've seen it happen, if you don't learn to let it go now, you may never be able to. There are things in this world that make life worth living. There are people who make it worth living." He looked away from her, and at the doorway.

"Sometimes having one person in the world who understands you is enough to keep you going. Sometimes it's enough to make you want to be a different person." He looked back at her, she nodded a little. And wiped her eyes on the pillow. However new tears came again.

"I need to talk to Vash." He said walking towards the door, this time she didn't call him back.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

Knives left the room, closing the door, but leaving it slightly ajar. He headed downstairs and into the kitchen, pouring two glasses of water. Thankfully the water supply had not been cut off, that could be fatal. Although they had some stored up it taking both glasses with him he went outside and walked to the fence. He called out to Vash and passed the glass of water to him. The other gladly accepted it and gulped it down quickly.

"Did you talk to her?"

"She did most of the talking."

"How is she?"

"She despises the world, probably the two of us as well, and it turns out that she thinks her own mother detests her. Other than that though she's doing fine."

"Well that sounds promising."

"You need to talk to her."

"Why?"

"Because you have an annoying, and sometimes useful, way of making people see things from another perspective, usually your own," He explained leaning on the fence and drinking from his own glass. The coolness of it felt good and wet his parched throat.

"Okay, I'll go talk to her." Vash let the spade fall the ground and it hit the door to the generator, which was mostly exposed by now, with a 'clang'. He climbed the fence and walked back into the house. Knives finished his glass of water and took the glasses back inside.

Eliana heard the Vash open the door and hugged the pillow tighter, burying her face in it again as well.

"Hey Kiddo."

"I'm not a kid." Came the muffled reply.

"Yeah sorry." She felt the mattress sag as he sat down.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"I'm not upset."

"Knives said you two talked." She nodded into the pillow a little bit.

"What did he say?"

"Not much."

"Y'know if you ever need somebody to talk to we're hear for you." She turned her head and looked at the wall, not giving an answer and then tightened her grip on the pillow.

"Yeah, Thanks." Came the distant reply.

"Ellie, y'know how your birthdays coming up." She nodded, her face still buried in the pillow.

"I was thinking you might like it if we invited Millie and Sophie to stay for a few days, maybe have a little party. I know it's got to be hard for you being so far away from your friends?

"Yeah, like Knives would approve of that." He smiled at her, as she looked up, tears staining her cheeks.

"I'm sure Knives can take care of himself. If he doesn't want to be here he doesn't have to be. Besides, it's your day, not his."

She smiled a little bit. "I guess that might be kind of fun."

"I'm gonna go tell Knives the good news." He practically ran from the room and down the stairs. Eliana leaned over and shut the door, turning the small sliver key in the lock, then laid back and put the pillow behind her head.

Knives was still sitting outside, leaning against an apple tree, when Vash emerged from the house, still smiling.

"Whenever you start grinning like that, I know you're going to say something I don't like."

"Aw, but this is good news. We're gonna have a party for Ellie's birthday, With Millie and Sophie." Knives rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Three humans, you and probably a lot of alcohol in the same vicinity. I'd rather jab a fork into my hand than sit through that."

"Party pooper."

"Vash, Shut up." He closed his eyes and felt the warm rays of the sun cast down on him, He heard Vash take a seat beside him and the 'whump' sound as his back hit the bark of the tree.

"So...erm... what did you wanna talk about."

"I'm going to teach Eliana how to use telepathy properly."

"You're what?"

"I'm going to teach Eliana how to use telepathy properly, so she can communicate properly rather than just outbursts when she's angry or scared."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why? Would you rather have her broadcasting random thought to us?"

"No it's just... that I."

"It's not my fault that you never bothered to hone your abilities." Vash sighed.

"Your going to do this weather I approve or not aren't you?"

"Yup."

"Well at least let me know what your doing okay." Knives looked over at him and smirked.

"At least I told you this time." He pushed himself up and looked at the door to the generator.

"That thing won't fix itself, we better get started otherwise, it'll be dark before we finish." Vash nodded and reached into his pocket, he took out his sunglasses and placed them on the end of his nose, pushed them up to their usual position.

"Yeah." He nodded to Knives and followed him around to the fence too the trapdoor that led down to the generator room.

Knives picked out a white shirt from his wardrobe and slid it on, buttoned up the front, then pulled on yesterday's pants, tucking the shirt in to them. And fastening the belt buckle. He still missed the near automatic action of picking up the for his gun holster and putting that on too. He sat down on his bed and buckled the two straps on each boot. He picked the small knife up from his desk and tucked it into the sheath at the top of the right boot so only the very tip of the handle of the handle was showing and the legs of his pants covered that well enough. He stood up and left his room, making sure the shut the door behind him. He walked down the hall to Eliana's room. He got to the door and turned the knob, there was a click and a rattle and the door refused to move. He scowled and turned around heading back to his room. Opening his desk he opened a draw and took out a small leather pouch. Opening it to reveal a series of small metal tools. He selected two, one with and odd shaped almost curvy end, and the other with a small flat end which angled off a right angle.

He walked back too her door and bent down on one knee, inserted the curve ended lock pick end in first find the right point by turning it a little, he then inserted the flat edged lock pick into the lock. After making a few small movements the lock clicked, he then adjusted the position and repeated the motion several times till the lock gave off a loud click and the door swung open a bit. He slid the picks into his back pocket and pushed the door open. Striding through he looked at a rather shocked Eliana.

"How the heck did you get in?"

"Picked the lock."

"What! don't I deserve some privacy."

"We needed to talk, beside you do know Vash has a master key to all these doors." he paused for a moment then added as an afterthought." Expect mine, I changed the lock years ago and never bothered mentioning it too him."

"What does that have to do with anything? You're invading my privacy by picking that lock."

"Would you have opened the door if I'd asked?"

"No."

"Well then I didn't have much choice did I. Or would you rather I kicked the door down?"

"That's not the fucking point!"

"I am not going to discuss this through a door."

"God! You're worse than Vash!" He turned and shut the door. Sitting down on the chair next to her bed he crossed his arms a looked at her.

_"I've decided to teach you how to use your abilities."_

"I hate it when you do that."

She broke eye contact and rolled onto her good arm so that she couldn't see him. He looked at her back frayed and blood stained hair hanging down just behind her shoulders.

_"You need to get over this, its apart of who you are, once you accept it, it can no longer bother you." _She grunted in response. _"You should really do something about your hair. Do you like walking around looking like you let Vash cut it?" _She shook her head, then pushed herself upright. Still facing the wall. He picked up the chair and brought it closer to the bed.

"You're not leaving, are you?"

_"Nope."_ He picked up a hair tie from her bedside table and pulled her hair into a ponytail, with his hand a few times, then slid the hair tie over it, making a short ponytail. It felt oddly nice, the feeling of cool air brushing the back of her neck, made her feel, somehow alive again.

"What are you doing?"

_"Killing two birds with one stone. Now sit still, fidget too much and you'll end up missing an ear, I want you to concentrate" _Despite the fact she couldn't see his face, she knew he was smirking.

"On what?" Aggravation seeped into her voice as she turned to look at him. He was pulling a skeleton handled boot knife from his left boot, the one he had placed there earlier, he took a told of her ponytail and pulled it out straight. "How much of that are you planning to cut off?"

_"Ask me in here."_

"I don't want to play your fucking game. Just get out."

_"The sooner you do it the sooner I'll leave."_

She huffed and slouched a little, relaxing her muscles as she tired on sending Knives a message." I'm not even sure what I'm doing."

_"That's why we're practicing. Just focus on my voice, try and follow it."_ He reached up and tapped his temple a little, just below the hairline. "_It happens around here."_

"Okay." She tensed and the felt the knife dig in then sliced through her hair, the remaining part of the ponytail when limp while the rest Knives still held in his hand. "Ouch."

_"You're not trying." _

_"...ucking bastard." _

_"Was that scum-sucking bastard, or fucking bastard I couldn't tell?" _

"I said I am trying you fucking bastard."

_"In here!" _

_"I said I am trying! You fucking bastard!"_

_"Good. More" _

_"More what?" _

_"Keep talking." _

_"huh?" _

_"You're doing it." _

"I am?"

_"You were. Concentrate." _

_"Alright fine."_ He took a few of the several knotted stands of hair together and cut through them. The pulled her back into a tight ponytail again. She was sounding a little faint in his head now, but she had relaxed a little again and it seemed her voice was stronger when she was riled up.

"_How short are you gonna cut it?" _

_"Chin length." _

_"What!" _

_"A lot of swirling hair will get in your way if moving around and trying to aim." _

_"So?" _

_"So you'll need it cut short." _

_"Couldn't I have had it in a pony tail?" _

_"Nope." _

_"But Vash does." _She protested.

_"Yes and Vash has over one hundred years of experience, he can compensate for that kind of thing." _

_"I guess." _She gave a little shrug. Knives cut another small section away from the ponytail and let the remaining hair fall lose. It hung roughly cut, but looking better than before at around chin height. It hung down to the sides at the front and she had a fringe hanging down over her eyes a little.

"Done."

_"Good... wait you didn't talk in here_

"I told you before, sooner we started the sooner I'd leave. you cooperated

"Oh yeah." she sounded a little disappointed.

"You did well. A little more practice and you'll be there."

"Thanks for the haircut too."

"Don't worry about it, besides I was bored." She turned and smiled, the first proper one in days. She reached up and brushed away the hair that had collected on the back of her nightshirt. Then shifted around on the bed, the covered twisting, stretching and contorting as she did so. To lean against the wall. She looked at Knives as he sat down and slid the knife back into his boot. He blinked twice then checked the knife was in place.

_"You always carry one of those around?" _

"Usually more than one."

_"Oh_"He smirked at little at her surprise.

"Believe me I used to carry a lot more than a few throwing knives."

"I do." She paused to think for a moment." So when do we start training again?"


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Vash groaned as he woke, squinted at the light coming in through the open window. He rested a hand on his forehead and fought the urge to throw up. He ran his hand back through his hair and pulled loose the short ponytail he'd put in it a few days ago. His shoulder bones cracked as he stretched. He stood up and crossed the room, didn't realize that he kicked one of the empty beer bottles until he heard it roll across the panel floor. He reached outside and put a hand on one of the shutters, but hesitated as he looked at the suns.

"The second rise was three hours ago."

He jumped at the sound of Knives' voice. He pulled the shutters closed as he turned around, look at the hands on his watched, tucked neatly at the seven and twelve.

"Your watch stopped two days ago."

Vash sat back down on the couch. "I didn't notice."

"I'm not surprised. I don't think you've been sober for more than five minutes in the past three days." He wrinkled his nose. "And that window was open for a reason. Smells like a goddamn drunk tank in here."

He went back to the window and opened it again.

"This is about the girl, isn't it?"

Vash didn't answer.

"I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I'm sick of it."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then what is it, Vash? Is it your damned self-absorbed guilt, or is it your shame in who you are?"

He turned and walked towards the door.

"In any case, Vash, you need to get over yourself." He turned and walked away from the lounge towards the kitchen. Vash stood and followed him.

"When in your life have you ever thought of anyone other than yourself?"

"I got the impression from Millie you were a happy drunk."

They turned around to face Eliana, falling silent. The anger on Vash's face dissipated, turned to surprise as he saw her.

"It's uncanny isn't it?" Knives' voice cut through the surprise.

He ran a hand through his hair again, tried to smile. "You got a haircut."

"Yeah, Knives did it."

"Just last night as a matter of fact." A hint of a smirk grew on his lips. Vash turned towards the door and shot knives and angry look. "It looks nice, doesn't it?"

"Piss off Knives." He walked out slamming the door behind him.

Knives looked up at her, she stared back looking rather puzzled. "What was that all about?"

"I'll tell you later."

"But..."

"Don't you have a telegram for Millie and Sophie that needs to be mailed?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Get dressed and go after Vash, he'll take you to town."

"Why can't you do it?"

"I don't want to."

"He doesn't look much like he wants to, either."

Knives smiled. "All the more reason to make him do it." She frowned at him. "Besides, he needs to get out. Give him something to do besides sit around here and mope."

She hesitated, looking through the door that Vash had gone out.

"You'd better hurry up if you want to get to town before the office closes." As she went back up the stairs he when out onto the porch, Vash was a fair distance away not about a hundred feet.

_"You need to wait, the girl needs taking into town." _He leaned against a post while Vash stopped, paused for a moment, then turned a little and raised his middle finger at Knives. Who scowled a little.

_"Look, I didn't mean for it too look like her. It surprised me too" _His tone was slightly apologetic. Vash stopped and slumped a little as some of the anger slid away.

_"I know."_ He turned back to Knives and started to walk back. When he got close he sighed. "We don't tell her about Tessla."

"But I thought you weren't going to lie to her."

"She doesn't need to know."

"If you say so, but remember what happened last time somebody lied."

"Yeah, well that was different."

"Of course it was."

"Knives."

"I know." The usual smirk followed.

The door swung open and Eliana crossed through, one of Vash's old duster jackets, hanging loosely over her injured shoulder. And her arm tugged through the other sleeve which was rolled up a little, held the jacket on.

"Ready to go Vash?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec." He gave a slight disarming smile and waved her in the direction of the car. She nodded and went to the car, carefully she opened the door and sat so. Being extra careful not to jolt her shoulder. Where as normally she vault into the backseat from the footboard or something else rather extravagant. However this time she gingerly climbed in and sat down in the front seat. Vash shot Knives a grim look then walked toward the car, He waved over his shoulder.

"Anything you want?"

"Not really, Tane could use some new coolant piping if they have some."

"I'll check with ol' Mr. Henderson."

"Thanks."

"Anythan' else?"

"Yeah, could you get me some black metal polish, a new blade of the cutting disk and a spare chamber guard. But those aren't really urgent, I could go get them myself if your not planning on sticking around."

"What happened to nothing much?"

He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a few bills, he flicked through them till he had the right amount then tossed them to Vash. "That should cover it." He nodded in reply. Then climbed into the car which rocked a little with his weight.

"We shouldn't be too long." Knives shrugged as he walked into the house. Vash turned the ignition key and the car's engine revved into life. He pulled the car away and towards Brightridge. He took it slow at first trying not to jolt the car.

"Looking forward to your birthday party?"

"It's hardly a party, since when have four people constituted a party."

"Well its better than just me and Knives isn't plus you get extra presents." She scoffed.

"Makes a change from the usual twenty five double dollars from mom."

"Really, Meryl always picked good gifts for Millie" She shifted in the east and rested her good arm on the edge of the door, then let her chin rest on top of that.

"It'll be nice to see Millie again, it's always fun when she comes."

"Yeah, I was thinking, why didn't you ever come by, when I was a kid I mean, Millie always said you two were good friends, yet I never saw you once."

"Yeah, Well life gets complicated, and people thought I was dead, I had to keep out of sight for a while, taking care of Knives, you can imagine what kind of a chore than would be." He smiled, he couldn't tell if she did the same, her kept the back of her head to him, staring out over the never ending sands.

"Millie said you came to visit all the time."

"Yeah well Millie had the orphans and Soph to take care of, and well me and Meryl didn't really part ways well." She nodded a little, she knew how her mother took bad news. It was usually badly with a very loud and sometimes violent reaction.

"Mom needed friends."

"Huh?"

"When I was a kid she had no real friends, only Millie and she didn't see her that often."

"Moved about a lot huh?"

"Yeah."

"That sounds like Meryl alright." They spent most of the remaining time of the ride in silence. The town was a lot quicker by car than the walk she remembered, it had taken her a good two hours to walk here last time. But then she hadn't had much of a perspective then. The town seemed smaller than before when they drove into it, but she hadn't been back since the night she got drunk. It seemed like a good idea. As the crossed the edge the wind began to howl and the sand started to whip she tugged the jacket around her a little tighter and pulled the sand hood, sewn onto the back of the jacket over her head. Immediately a shadow feel over her face as the hood hung down over her face a little.

"Storms coming, better make this quick, I'll go grab the stuff knives wants, if you'll be okay posting that by yourself." She nodded. "Okay, just say you want to use Alex Thomas' P.O box."

"Alex Thomas?"

"Yeah, I didn't that it would be the best of ideas to use my real name."

"Oh, okay." He pulled the car too a stop outside of the post office, which was next to the general store and got out." he moved around to help her down, but she had already climbed out onto the footboard and gently stepped down.

"I'll be in the hardware store across the road okay, I'll come get you when I'm done." He shoved his hand into his pocket and dug around for a moment till he pulled out several coins.

"Here this should cover the postage cost. And if you wanna get yourself a book or something there should be enough left over." She raised an eyebrow.

"Trashy paperbacks? I'd rather stick with of mice and men."

"Knives give that to you?"

"Yeah." He nodded and walked towards the hardware store.

"I'll be back in a few." She half smiled, but it lacked the effort. Turning she pushed open the door and walked into the small post office, it was a tiny room, on the back of the general store, with a large wooden counter that ran along the back of the room and a few sleeves holding with boxes and envelopes of various sizes on the walls and a rotating rack of two double dollar novels, all of which were generally the same ones found in every general store and Post Office throughout Gunsmoke. There were three or four middle aged woman all standing around the corner talking when she walked in, all of them looked up at her when she opened the door. The one behind the counter she looked to be the younger of the four, but still had an element of age too her, highlighted mostly by the grey streaks starting to show at her roots.

"Yes dear?"

"I'd... I'd like to post this through Alex Thomas' P.O pox please." She handed the woman the telegram and two double dollars.

"And you are dear."

"Ellie Thomas ma'am."

"Ah Alex's niece yes?" She nodded blankly, following what she hoped was the correct lie. The women looked her over as she stood in front of the counter.

"Are you alright dear?" One of them asked.

"Yeah, I just had an accident, and hurt my arm."

"Really, didn't see you come into Doc Hodges?"

"No, Well Alex fixed me up."

"Oh, the boy never said he was good at first aid."

"Yeah... he's okay, it's not that bad anyway."

"You sure dear? You look awful pale."

"I'm fine." The bell above the door rung and Vash walked in carrying a large paper bag in one hand.

"Hiya Martha."

"Mornin' Alex, looks like a bitch of a storm brewin'."

"Yeah, should be fine out my way though."

"True. I got some post for you by the way, wanna come sign for it."

"Oh, okay sure." He passed the bag to Eliana on his way over. "You can wait in the car if you want."

"Thanks." She took the bag and left the shop, closing the door behind her and shutting out the loud wind.

"Now Alex, I didn't wanna say this in front of your niece an all, but if she even needs a place to stay, away from her father, then she's more than welcome with me and Doug."

"What are you implying, That Cain beats her?"

"Not exactly, its just you don't get hurt like from falling over."

"Well he's never raised his hand to her, he thinks the world of that girl."

"How come she's hurting then?"

"She tripped on a broken step in the basement, that's why I just brought some lumber so I could fix it, I feel awful bad about not doing it before."

"Oh... alright Alex. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it Martha, I'll see you in a day or two, I'll probably be down to help out Sam dig people out."

"Okay, see you then Alex." He waved as he walked out to the car and climbed in to the driver's seat.

"Let's get you home before this storm sets in." She nodded somberly.

"Yeah, I wanna get some sleep if that okay."

"Sure." He replied dryly, taking out his sunglasses and sliding them up his nose as the wind that howled around them was drowned out by the car starting.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

The door creaked as Knives pushed it open. He looked down at the sleeping girl lying on her bed. She would have looked innocent if not for the thick sling, the slightly drawn quality of her face, constant reminders of her ordeal. He rapped his knuckles lightly against the open door, and her eyes snap open as she woke with a start.

"Shit, Knives!"

He brought one finger to his lips. "Vash is still sleeping."

"Well what do you expect waking someone up at…" she looked over at the alarm clock on her beside table, "Fuckin' hell, six fucking a.m."

He grunted. "I'm leaving for the plant soon and I thought I'd give you something before I went."

He reached down into the bag at his feet and pulled out an odd shaped object wrapped in a white cloth, He passed it too her and she took hold of one end placing it on her lap as she gave the lose flap of cloth a tug. Inside was a gun, its metal polished so much she could she see her eyes reflected in its barrel. She blinked and her reflection blinked back. She slowly ran her fingers over the words carved into the side of the barrel ' .45 long colt agl arms factory.' The metal felt cold to the touch, like it had been placed in ice for several days.

"It's for you to use when you get trained how to shoot."

"It looks just like Vash's."

"Actually it looks closer to mine. Mine's black."

"So you have one too?" She smiled a little and looked at the gun again. "Figures. How come I've never seen it before?"

"How often do you see me in a situation where I'd need a gun? Besides, I'm not a walking trouble-magnet like Vash." She giggled.

"But wouldn't a gun be better than a boot knife?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"On whether or not you want to be heard."

"Oh"

"I'm going to be leaving in about an hour."

She nodded. "Do you really have to go now?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly a people person." He picked up his bag and turned to walk out that door. "And for god's sake doesn't shoot that thing till your shoulder heals up. You'll just do more damage to it." He shut the door on his way out, leaving her staring at the weapon in her lap.

He looked up as he heard the tell squeak of brakes a car pull up outside. He looked out the window into the dim light. It had only been a couple of hours since first rise, and second was at least and hour away yet. There was a beaten up, old four wheel drive parked outside. The door opened and in the dim light he saw Millie climb out. He smirked and threw his rucksack up onto one shoulder and slid a pair of sunglasses up his nose. He walked out of the door , could see Millie's daughter still seated in the passenger seat. He smiled broadly and walked towards it.

"Looks like the ol' girl could do with some work huh?" Millie looked up at his voice and went back to unpacking their bags. While the daughter jumped out of the car and looked ready to hug him.

"Uncie Vash!" she called out, arms outstretched, but a quick look from Millie stopped her. She squinted a little and ran him over.

"You're his brother right?"

"Wow, Sophie, you sure have gotten big last time I saw you. Barely came up to my kneecap"." He leaned one hand on the porch supports as she came closer. He smiled as she saw Millie scowl at him from where she was unpacking the luggage. He was enjoying this.

"Its weird how you two look so much alike."

"It's a twin thing. Did you enjoy the trip?"

"Not really, seen one bit of desert, you seen it all."

"I wouldn't say so. The rock arch outside Brightridge is really something."

"Yeah I guess. It was still pretty dark when we went past there so we couldn't see much."

"True. Say if you want me to give this thing a look over while your here let me know, 'kay?"

"That'd be great thanks."

"No problem kiddo, Say your a real chip off the ole block, y'know?"

"Yeah people always say I'm like mom."

"No that's not what I mean. You look so much like your father." Millie whirled on him the second the words left his lips, fixed his gaze with one of her own.

"Stay the fuck away from my daughter." Her voice was firm and calm. Knives smiled. It'd been a long time since someone had talked to him like that.

"That was the plan." His smile turned into a self assured smirk as he walked past Sophie and out into towards the plant. Millie stood there for a few minutes watching him, till he was a fair distance away, almost to the point of becoming a speck on the horizon. Sophie walked over and picked up the two bags at Millie's feet.

"Come 'on Mom, lets go inside huh?" Millie nodded and smiled a little.

"Yeah lets."

"Uncie Vash!" Sophie cried out for the second time, jumping on the blonde as he walked groggily into the front hall, rubbing the sleep from one eye. She threw her arms around him in a great hug that almost sent him sprawling backwards. She inwardly winced as she felt the two bolts that were inserted into the upper part of his right arm.

"Hey Kiddo, long time no see." He smiled as he hugged her back, patting her on the back a little. Before another cry of 'Vash' echoed out and Millie threw her arms around them both. Vash groaned as he felt some of the air pushed out from him, despite being nearly fifty Millie it seemed as thought Millie could still hug like a bear. Sophie was the first to wriggle free as she shrugged off her mother.

"So where's the birthday girl?" She beamed a smile as she bent down to pull a rectangular parcel out of one of the bags she had brought in.

"She still in bed I think."

"Oh. Is it okay if I go see her?"

"Yeah sure, second door on the left," Vash told her as she turned to the stairs and bounded up them.

She found the door to Eliana's room and rapped her knuckles on the wood before pushing it open. Her eyes widened a little as she looked down at Eliana sitting in bed, trying to hide something under her sheet. When she saw it was Sophie she took the gun back out from under the covers and placed it on her lap.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be up yet." She put the parcel on the floor and sat down next to Eliana. She reached over and ran a hand through the roughly cut hair. "You look a lot better than I was expecting. Mom kept telling me you were fine, but the way Alice tells it...I'm just glad you're okay." She smiled a little. "Hey did Vash do this."

Eliana laughed and shook her head. "Nah, Knives cut it."

"Oh, hey is it okay to hug you?" She nodded and Sophie leaned forward and gently hugged her. Eliana pulled her closer for a second, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

"So she got too you okay then?"

"Yeah, she was really shaken, but Mom took care of her and Vash gave her far too much money so she's decided to give most of it too us, and stay on too help out with the kids."

"That's good."

"Yeah" Her eyes drifted to the deep black gun on Eliana's lap. "So is that a gun?" She nodded.

"Yeah, Knives made it."

"Can I see it?" Eliana nodded and passed the gun to Sophie. It felt cold as she gasped the handle of the gun, she traced the curled line running along the barrel with her finger, then flicked the safety off, she then flicked back the barrel and checked the chamber for bullets, snapped it closed, took aim at a spot on the wall and pulled the trigger six times in rapid succession. She smiled and passed the gun back to Eliana.

"He did a damn good job on this." Eliana nodded. Sophie clicked the safety on and passed the gun back to Eliana, as she did so there came the tell-tale sound of people walking up the stairs.

"Hide it." She tossed the gun back to Sophie who slid the top draw of the bedside cabinet open and threw the gun inside, she slammed it shut just as the door opened as Millie and Vash walked in. She smiled and looked down at two girls.

"Less than five minutes here and already you two are up to something." She nudged Vash in ribs the with her elbow. "You should have seen these two growing up, they were always into mischief." She walked over to Ellie and ruffled her hair. "This one has fallen off more drain pipes that I can count."

Vash smiled "I wouldn't doubt it, sounds like they took after their moms." Sophie smiled and Eliana looked mildly offended as Sophie stood up and vaccinated her seat on the bed so her mother could sit down.

"Oh Ellie, You look awful. What would your mother say if she saw you like this?"

"You know mom, she'd yell at me for not being more careful and tell me to fix my hair." Sophie stifled a chuckle and Millie smiled, she leaned forward and gave Eliana a hug, like Sophie had a few minutes ago. She winced a little as Millie squeezed too hard.

"I'm sorry honey, did I hurt you?" She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Nah, it doesn't hurt much." Millie smiled unconvincingly.

"You should get dressed and we can give you your presents over breakfast," Vash said from the doorway, pushing some of the hair that had flopped over his eyes out of the way.

"Okay, you guys go ahead, I'll be down in a few minutes." Vash nodded and led the others downstairs. Sophie left last shutting the door behind her. Eliana slowly got up and opened the drawer she had put her gun in earlier. She picked it up and turned it over in her hands, taking a long look at it before putting it back in the drawer and placing a few shirts over it to hide it better, she then pulled on her dressing gown and headed downstairs to join the others.


End file.
